7 April 2017
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
A retailers lobby group ‘Retail Excellence’ (RE) is today calling for a swift resolution to the Bus Éireann impasse as retailers and retail workers are being drastically impacted since strike action began on the 24th of March.
Lorraine Higgins LinkedIn profile picture
Lorraine Higgins, Head of Public Affairs and Communications at Retail Excellence said “It is disappointing to learn that there is no sign of a breakthrough following the overnight talks aimed at resolving the strike. The strike has caused widespread travel disruption nationwide and consequently has decimated footfall in our town centres. When you consider that there are no Bus Éireann services for 15 days now it is clear the upheaval is huge and the damage is unquantifiable”.
“We are continuing to field calls from understandably exasperated retailers throughout the country informing us of the impact on their business. In fact, one Cork retailer informed us that on one of the busiest shopping streets in the City he recorded interaction with just one customer over the course of a full day earlier this week. It is clear that footfall is falling dramatically and retail sales activity is being hammered. Furthermore, retail workers are struggling to get to their workplace and are faced with huge alternative transportation costs which is putting huge financial pressure on them”.
“This is an unsustainable situation and direct intervention is needed as a matter of urgency. Retailers and the workers are the collateral damage in this dispute which is costing everyone in the industry” Lorraine Higgins concluded.
