Mandate Trade Union has hit out at the decision by Marks and Spencer to open some of its smaller stores around the country today - while over 2,000 workers are on strike.

The union claims the company is using temporary seasonal staff in a "crude fashion" to effectively break a legitimate industrial dispute.

Workers walked off the job in a row over pensions, a cut to their Sunday premium pay and the scrapping of the Christmas bonus.

Two further days of strike action are planned for December 12th and 20th.

Management say they want to re-open "meaningful negotiations" - but Mandate Assistant General Secretary Gerry Light doesn't think their requests are genuine: “On the one hand they’re saying they want to engage in meaningful negotiations, yet in the press release last night they said that they were going to, regardless of the industrial action today, proceed with their plans, Now it’s either one thing or the other.”