Dunnes has declined to comment on market rumours that Ireland’s largest supermarket group may be up for sale.
Wal-Mart owned UK supermarket group Asda has been cited as the likely buyer.
A spokesperson for the family-owned retailer told just-food that it is unable to comment on the rumours at the present time.
Likewise, Asda said it was unable to comment on what it termed “market speculation”.
Speaking to just-food today (5 November), the retail workers’ trade union Mandate said that it has been “inundated” with calls from its members since Monday.
Gerry Light, Mandate assistant general secretary, called on the company to lay the rumours to rest.
“We have called on the company to say whether the business is for sale or not… As a trade union we don’t want to fuel the rumours. We heard this news breaking on Friday evening and the rumour persisted over the weekend. It is time for the company to clarify its position,” Light commented.
Light emphasised that these reports were not only a cause for concern for Dunnes employees but also the company’s suppliers and customers.
On the possibility of a Wal-Mart backed takeover, Light commented: “If somebody takes ownership of Dunnes I’m not really hung up on who it is. If Wal-Mart were to take over we would clearly have a problem that we would need to address. But Asda has a history of relations with UK trade unions even following the Wal-Mart takeover. Just because a parent company is anti-union in its home market doesn’t mean to say that will be the case when it acquires businesses in other markets.”
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