Doyle staff to get extra payday

STAFF at Ireland's Doyle Hotel Group will receive a goodwill payment if the planned takeover by Jurys Hotels goes ahead.

The amount has yet to be decided but the Doyle family has agreed to make the payment following a request from trade union SIPTU.

Some 1,400 staff in the hotel chain stand to benefit.

Seven of the hotels are in Dublin, one is in London and three are in Washington DC.

Under the terms of the takeover, the Doyle family's shareholding is estimated to be worth around IR£200m (£178m). Staff have been told that they will receive an "appropriate amount" depending on the outcome of the deal with Jurys.

Frank O'Malley, head of the hotels and catering branch of SIPTU, said that staff dedication and loyalty had contributed at least 20% to the group's current value. "It may be that their interpretation of an appropriate sum will differ from ours," he said. "In that event, we will have another chat with them about it."

The unusual move by Doyle may have been sparked off by chronic staff shortages in the Irish hospitality industry.