Staff at the four Marks & Spencer stores earmarked for closure have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. The retailer is planning to close its operations in Dun Laoghaire, Tallaght, Mullingar and Naas.

Workers represented by Mandate have voted by a margin of 88% in favour of action to oppose the closures.

The trade union says pickets will be placed on the four stores on or after September 10th and it is warning the action could spread to other stores.

Mandate General-Secretary John Douglas said "The result of the ballot clearly indicates the level of unity within the Marks & Spencer workers who are very upset at the way the company intends to make them compulsorily redundant without any attempt to explore alternative options".

"We have registered our frustration and disappointment with the company whose actions have caused great anxiety for their workers, not only in these stores, but across the whole of Marks & Spencer’s stores in the Republic of Ireland" he added.

Talks between the two sides broke down last Thursday at the Labour Relations Commission.

The stores stopped trading on Saturday last August 17th but the workers are still employed in clearing the locations.

In a statement Marks & Spencers previously said there are no redeployment opportunities for the workers and this has been explained to the unions.

Although the stores are already closing, John Douglas says they still have options available.