Union say car parking charge is a further tax
Staff protesting outside Liffey Valley Shopping Centre

Union say car parking charge is a further tax

STAFF continue to protest the controversial new parking charges at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.

Introduced on October 17, a daily rate of €2.50 for staff to park in a designated staff car park – works out at approximately €600 per year for fulltime workers.

Meanwhile, customers now pay a €2.50 charge for the first hour, and the next two hours free.

Retail workers in Liffey Valley earning at or near the minimum wage, say this amounts to a pay cut in the middle of the cost-of-living crisis.

If staff cannot find a place in the designated overflow car park, which is also open to the public, they face paying a day rate for customers, which is €12.50.

Mandate Trade Union say the car parking charges are a further tax on workers, and have launched a petition to scrap the charges.

As of Wednesday morning, the Uplift petition had over 1,660 signatures.

A statement on Sunday by Liffey Valley Shopping Centre said: “We are happy to confirm that there has been available capacity in the designated areas for staff parking (blue and green overflow car parks) at all times since Monday last.

“There has been and continues to be extensive communication regarding these changes with all our stakeholders including with our retailers.

“It is largely understood and accepted that the delivery of an enhanced customer experience will ultimately benefit the retail businesses at Liffey Valley and their staff.

“The changes are already resulting in a much-improved parking experience for all, and we believe has already reduced  the number of commuters and frequent parkers who neither visited or worked at the centre.”

Mandate say the charges place “another potential barrier” for retailers, who are “already finding it hard to attract workers”.

“Mandate Official Ken Reilly and SIPTU Official Myles Worth requested a meeting with the Liffey Valley Centre Director Mr Denis O’Connell, but he refused to meet with the workers union officials,” said Jim Fuery, Mandate Trade Union.

“It is unacceptable that the centre management team ignore the workers and their representatives, and we are seeking immediate engagement by centre management with the unions’ officials with an aim to resolving this situation to our members satisfaction.”

Liffey Valley said the new BusConnects interchange at the centre will be completed in early December and come into operation early next year “will further improve public transport connectivity to the centre”.

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