Debenhams workers in Waterford will join colleagues from nine other stores in protests this morning ahead of a liquidation hearing for the Irish arm of Debenhams on Thursday.
Ten separate protests are being mounted in Dublin, Cork Limerick, Galway and Newbridge
Around 90 people employed by the Waterford store in the City Square Shopping Centre have lost their jobs, after the Irish arm of the company announced it's going into liquidation.
Michelle Gavin who worked for Debenhams in Waterford for 27 years says they weren't given any indication that the shop would not reopen following the pandemic:
Debenhams workers at Henry Street in Dublin are prepared to face arrest if gardaí decide to shut down their protest again.
Last week staff protesting the liquidation of the store were ordered to disperse, although protests in Cork and Limerick were allowed to go ahead.
Jane Crowe, shop steward at Debenhams in Henry Street, says the stores are still profitable and could open up again.
She says they are determined to make their point.
"It'll be the same people turning up," she said.
"We will have our own banners with us but we are making a bigger one to quite clearly stress that we find it is an essential protest and it is a peaceful protest. We will have that banner there in case anyone has any doubt as to what it is we're doing.
"Hopefully the guards will leave us alone. It's only going to be 45 minutes, it's just to get our point out there"
Meanwhile Waterford City and County Council say they have made contact with the Letting Agent for City Square following
the liquidation of their anchor Tenant Debenhams.
The local authority have offered their support to Lambert Smith Hampton Commercial real estate consultants in attracting a new tenant.
