Retail staff in Strabane have been put through eight weeks of ‘hell’ as confusion remains about what is to happen to more than 30 jobs in the town, a local union representative has said.
Supermarket chain Lidl is to move into Strabane retail park at the end of July, but while some companies have said they will move to new locations in the town centre others have yet to confirm plans and have informed staff they are to be made redundant.
20 jobs at the New Look store in the Co Tyrone town remain under threat, as an urgent meeting was requested by local councillors to help the company find new premises.
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Meanwhile 12 employees at Menary’s have been told they will be made redundant, despite local councillors praising the company for having found a new location at a recent meeting of the Business and Culture Committee of Derry City and Strabane District Council. The store is due to close on July 24 with Lidl taking over the lease by the end of the month.
Brian Forbes from Strabane Workers Together, a group representing those affected by the store closures in the area, says staff at the companies have been treated ‘disgracefully’.
“These staff will have this hanging over them for weeks, they haven’t been advised on anything and the companies have stayed very silent on this issue," Brian told Belfast Live.
“This really matters to people, it’s their lives and their livelihoods. There is no need for there to be any secrets here.
“These workers have gone through eight weeks of hell and some of them have served in these stores for more than 25 years. They have been treated disgracefully.
“They have put their hearts and souls into these businesses for the last 25 years, it’s just scandalous.”
Brian added that local representatives have been working to help the companies find new potential locations in the area, but as yet no suitable premises has been found by New Look or Menary’s. He added that New Look had not 'proactively engaged' in efforts to find a new location.
Brian added: "All evidence known to date strongly suggests the company has not been proactively engaged with seeking and securing a suitable alternative location within Strabane.
"Despite reassurances given to both staff and elected public representatives that New Look has no desire to leave Strabane, everything is pointing to the contrary. If New Look honestly wanted to stay in Strabane, we have established a clear collective capability to make it happen."
In a statement provided to Belfast Live, a spokesperson for New Look has said it will 'continue to assess the suitability of a number of sites in the town'.
“Regrettably, our store in Strabane will be closing, as we have been served notice by our landlord," the statement said.
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“We have loved being part of the local community in Strabane and our preference would be to continue to serve the town with a local store, however we have so far been unable to identify a viable site for the store’s relocation. We will continue to assess the suitability of a number of sites in the town.
“We are supporting colleagues in the Strabane store throughout the consultation process. We are doing everything we can to accommodate affected colleagues within the business. This includes redeploying impacted colleagues, wherever possible, into vacancies in surrounding stores.”
Belfast Live contacted Menary's to provide an update on whether their store would be relocating to other areas in Strabane after the retail park closure, but at the time of publication had yet to provide one.
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