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TESCO HAS SAID it is “extremely disappointed” that some employees from Mandate Trade Union will go on strike today and tomorrow.
Workers at the retailer’s Sligo store are due to go on strike today while employees from stores in Carrick-on-Shannon in Co Leitrim are due to go on strike tomorrow.
Employees in Sligo previously went on strike on 6 and 14 December.
John Douglas, Mandate’s General Secretary, said: “It is unfortunate that our members are forced to strike yet again due to Tesco’s continued refusal to engage with their workers’ union and follow collective grievance procedures.
“Our members don’t want to be on strike, but it seems the company is happy to prolong this totally unnecessary strike for their own reasons.”
Douglas said Mandate members are “very sorry for any inconvenience to the public in the run up to Christmas”.
Mandate claims that Tesco management has repeatedly ignored attempts by the union to discuss its grievances.
“You can either roll over and take it or you can fight back, and I commend the Sligo and Carrick-on-Shannon workers for choosing to fight back,” Douglas added.
Christmas week
However, a spokesperson for Tesco said the series of one-day strikes is “entirely out of proportion as these are local disputes involving local issues that don’t warrant such disruption in Christmas week”.
“Despite the strikes, our stores will remain open tomorrow and Saturday and we thank our colleagues and our customers for their cooperation.
We regret this action by Mandate and the disruption inflicted on our colleagues, our customers and to other businesses in the two towns by these unjustified strikes. It is particularly disappointing action by Mandate for these close-to-the-border towns in the run up to Christmas.
The spokesperson said Tesco “remains committed to resolving this dispute” and rejects Mandate’s claims that the union has been left with no option but to hold strikes.
“We remain committed to the State’s industrial relations machinery as we were before when we accepted a Labour Court recommendation that continues to remain rejected by Mandate. Unlike the union, we continue to respect the industrial relations processes and remain committed to them.
“We request that Mandate, even at this late stage, desist from the industrial action and refer these issues back to the WRC where we are willing to engage with the union.”
I’m sure the staff are “extremely disappointed” that they’ve had to go on strike at Christmas too. So before anyone starts union-bashing, I know from experience that no one enjoys being on strike without pay at any time of the year but it’s often a last resort. Hopefully it’s resolved swiftly.
@Pascal Coleman: Good luck to the staff. Don’t cross the picket people!
@Pascal Coleman: I thought I heard before that one of the reasons employees contribute a small portion of their pay to union membership is so that they union can subsidise the strikers when on strike and pay them something extent when they are on strike?
@Simon Carroll: Yes , as it should be. Unfortunately it is only pittance , also depends on how long strike lasts. If costumers do not cross the picket line , an Tesco profits suffer… They will not be long in resolving this dispute. Support the striking workers.. Do Not Pass The Picket.
I fully support the staff here, Tesco have a reputation for screwing their staff over and dishonorable work practices in general. Not to mention they don’t give a rats ass about their customers which is evident by the overall presentation of most stores, the general lack of staff in same and the over reliance on “self scan” checkouts wherin they take away a job and offer no cost saving whatsoever to the customer. I’ll continue to shop at lidl thank you where they at the very least pay the living wage.
@Frank Lee: per square ft in shops Tesco hire more staff, and as Tesco do not use central distribution to such a large degree so local supplies still have a chance in Tesco.
@Frank Lee: you complain about the lack of staff in Tesco but yet you shop somewhere that employs less! That’s a bit strange.
@Frank Lee: as someone who has worked for 15 years for that company in the past o don’t know where you getting your info from. Yes they have had falling out with pre 1996 staff over redundancy but trust me they are far from the worst!! We would often get the mandate magazine into each store and left in the canteen and it was always a certain Irish supermarket that was plastered throughout having wronged it’s staff or up in the wrc to the point were I was glad in never took a position there . I have also heard first hand accounts from various managers who worked with me who also worked with this company about the treatment of staff
@Frank Lee: and screwing their customers . Anyone who shops in Tesco and doesn’t focus their Monday on the price displayed as against the price on their bill needs to wake up.
@Terry Cahill: minds
@Frank Lee: Tesco staff have banded guaranteed hour contracts, Do Lidl? Tesco pay premium time for Sunday and early morning & double time for Sundays in December Do Lidl? Tesco have a save as you earn scheme for staff and a great pension, do Lidl? Tesco have subsidised staff food offers, do Lidl? Tesco give staff a 10% discount card, Do Lidl? Tesco allow staff to use money off vouchers as well as the discount card, do Lidl?…
@Fergus Sheahan: They got rid of the drivers, they are kings of the zero contrat and all of it and they make millions. Look at all the Christmas stuff. British Cheeses and all the rest of it.
@Trev: Is that why the staff in my local tesco buy their lunch at the counter or used to buy it in the local spar but it closed. How long are you a management lackey
@Gary Kearney: they have banded contracts not zero contracts! BANDED contracts are what unions would like EVERY other retailer in Ireland to have.. TESCO have them. They do sell some British CHEESE that’s true but also they sell cheese from Italy, Spain, France, IRELAND!! & other places too, You do realise Irish companies sell their products outside Ireland also don’t you?
@Gary Kearney: christ Gary you talk some rubbish. There are literally no zero hour contracts in Tesco. Stop talking crap. Yes, staff may be buying lunch from the counter, but they get it at a discounted rate. Come back when you know what your talking about.
I fully support the staff also. Tesco have no response to the unions and try to influence the new /summer or Christmas staff not to join the union. They still want rid of pre 96 staff that is left.sorry Tesco but you operate in ireland so you need to abide by the laws of ireland not UK.
@Eddie Mc Keown: The only difference for new staff is that they are not automatically entered into the union. It’s up to them to make the decision of whether they wish to join or not.
@Skimothy: how are you now,after your frontal lobotomy?
@Thomas Devlin: good one Tom. Good one.
Let’s not start “Union bashing” or ” Tesco” bashing. I’ve been worker in situations where the union has helped genuine workers with grievances and I’ve been working in situations were lazy workers have hidd behind a union. I don’t know what the situation is with this particular case but all I do know is when Tesco opened in my local area they employed alot of local people and most of them still seem to be working there and semm happy enough. By the way I’m no Tesco fan. I shop in Tesco, Lidl, Aldi & Supervalue- wherever I can get the best prices. You have a choice on where you shop and you have a choice on where you work. Good luck to the workers if these are genuine grievances but let’s have a balanced approach when commenting…
I most certainly will not be shopping in Tesco when they have total disregard for the wishes of the staff and they wish to be represented by Mandate Union . We need to support the Tesco staff
Boycott.Boycott ..
@Margaret ODwyer: ive read the article and the various comments but I am none the wiser on what the actual dispute or grievance is about – i get all the Tesco Bashing / Union bashing whingers – but what EXACTLY is the issue and grievance that is causing them to take the most extreme action a union can take in striking ? anyone ?
Stick to Dunnes and Supervlau
Anyone doubting the strikers here should have a read of Joanna Blythmans book on the practices of tesco and their competitors…. they can well afford to pay staff a decent wage
@Jessie Ginger: they do.
**wont
***wont
Ahh Bless
I’m sure the workers are “disappointed that TESCO engage with the union
I refuse to use the the scan your own lark nor the self service unless in dire emergency. Why as they take jobs. Next they will want us to stack the shelves and unload the trucks too.
have your say