Tesco Ireland have not yet responded to Mandate offer to resolve issues in dispute and avoid strike made last Friday 

Staff at eight Tesco stores around the country have thanked the public for the great support they have received since going on the picketline early this morning. The eight stores where the staff are on indefinite strike are located in Dublin, Kerry, Longford, Meath, Offaly and Wicklow. A further eight stores in Dublin, Monaghan and Wicklow will join the strike this coming Friday with a further 22 balloting for industrial action next week.

John Douglas, General Secretary, Mandate Trade Union, said that the striking workers have been very heartened by the support they have received for the important principal at the heart of this dispute – namely one side being in a position to tear up an existing agreement and impose change against the will of the other side.

“This morning staff at eight Tesco stores went on strike and a further eight will be joining them this coming Friday. The public recognise that Tesco Ireland are attempting to impose changes to the contracts of employment for approximately 250 workers employed before 1996 which would result in some workers experiencing reduced incomes of up to 20%. The company – which is the most profitable retailer in the country with estimated profits of more than €250 million annually – has never justified the cuts they are seeking to impose on workers who earn slightly more than €14 per hour.

“In recent days, Tesco Ireland have said that the strikes are not justified because they have not yet actually made the contractual changes. In response, last Friday Mandate wrote to the management of Tesco Ireland saying that if they committed to not making changes to their staff’s contracts without agreement with them – rather than trying to impose change unilaterally – then the strike could be called off. Unfortunately, to date we have had no response from Tesco Ireland to our letter.”

Mr Douglas said that the fact that the company have not responded to the union’s offer leads him to the view that, unfortunately, Tesco Ireland management wants the strike to go ahead.

“No worker wants to go on strike, but our members recognise that if Tesco can get away with tearing up contracts of employment without agreement for pre-1996 staff, it’ll be the 3,000 workers on post-1996 contracts who are currently on a higher hourly rate of pay who will be next. That’s why we’ve seen such strong support from our members in these ballots for industrial action, particularly from those not affected by cuts, yet. They understand that together we are stronger,” John Douglas concluded.

 

Tomorrow is a defining moment in the battle for decent work in Ireland.

On the one hand you have the most profitable multinational retailer on the island of Ireland; generating more than €250 million in profit annually; buying up other companies for €4.3 billion and promising to pay out dividends to already wealthy shareholders later this year – and on the other hand you have a small group of workers with 21 years of loyal service to their company fighting to protect their incomes and their contracts of employment.

Tesco Ireland is attempting to change contracts of employment without agreement for 250 staff members employed before 1996. For the last 12 months they have intimidated and pressured those workers to leave the business and generally made their lives hell.

They have told them they’re “not wanted”, they’re “old fashioned” and they’re “surplus to requirements”. And why? Because those workers have secure hour contracts with relatively decent pay and conditions.

This is the thanks you get for helping to build one of the most successful multinational retailers in the world, and it’s simply not good enough.

In Ireland we already have among the most flexible workforces in the European Union. We have the second highest prevalence of underemployment (involuntary part-time work) in the EU 15 and we have the second highest prevalence of low pay in the entire OECD.

We work hard for our employers but we don’t get the just rewards.

Now Tesco want to drive down those wages and conditions of employment even further.

And if Tesco get away with changing contracts of employment without agreement for these workers, no worker will be safe. Soon they’ll have all workers in Ireland earning close to the minimum wage, just like they do in the UK.

In Mandate we believe that every worker should have secure hours with an income that’s sufficient to provide a decent living standard for the worker and their family.

It’s not right that companies like Tesco can pay dividends to shareholders, massive bonuses to executives and at the same time cut wages for the very people who make them their profits in the first place. In fact, even though Tesco is among the better paying retailers in Ireland, more than 10% of the workforce still has to have their incomes topped up through supplementary social welfare payments. This means that it is the Irish taxpayer picking up the tab for low pay, while shareholders walk away with dividends.

Tesco has never justified changes to contracts of employment for their workers. They are still the same profitable retailer that referred to the Republic of Ireland as “Treasure Island” in the not too distant past. They have paid expensive public relations consultants to come up with a narrative about “flexibility”, “meeting the needs of the customers” and needing workers on “modern contracts”.

The fact of the matter is, Tesco want to pay their workers as little as possible in order to drive up profits for their owners. And the number one way to achieve that is to take the workers’ union, Mandate, off the pitch.

In recent weeks it has come to the attention of Mandate Trade Union that Tesco has employed a leading international legal firm which specialises in trade union busting in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Together they have developed a plan which they have code-named ‘Project Black’. This sinister move should be a worry, not only for all workers in Tesco, but for all workers across the retail sector and in Irish society in general.

If we are serious about ensuring that ‘work pays’ in Ireland and that decency and fairness are at the heart of all jobs in our society, then together we must stop the race to the bottom that Tesco is attempting to escalate. But we can only do it together. Through being united in our trade unions and by supporting workers when they struggle to protect their existing conditions of employment and by supporting them when they battle for improved conditions of employment.

Mandate has recently lodged a claim to bring all workers’ wages in Tesco up to the highest point of their pay scale and we will pursue a campaign to drive all wages and conditions of employment in the retail sector upwards over the coming months and years.

In the meantime, Tesco workers need your support:

1. Please take the time to send a message to Andrew Yaxley, Tesco Ireland’s CEO demanding the company make no changes to contracts of employment without agreement.
2. Please join the Tesco Workers Together Facebook page and share the event with your friends on social media.
3. Finally, if you’re near any of the 8 Tesco stores where Mandate members are preparing to strike a blow for decency and respect at work tomorrow, then please drop down, show your solidarity and don’t pass the pickets.

The implications of Tesco’s actions being successful are too severe to contemplate for our members.

Many will struggle to pay their bills, they could fall behind on their mortgage payments and others will not be able to manage their family commitments.

We as a society need to decide whether it is acceptable for a highly profitable and powerful multinational retailer to impose this type of pain on low-paid workers who have shown more than 21 years of loyalty building that company.

I believe all Mandate members and the Irish public will send a very strong message to Tesco Ireland that this type of behaviour and exploitation of their Irish workforce will not be tolerated.

Thank you in advance for your support.

In Solidarity,

John Douglas

Mandate General Secretary

Dear Member

Please note that because of technical issues with the ballots in Sligo and Ballina that a new ballot for industrial action is now required in these locations. Meetings in these stores are currently being arranged for this purpose. Contrary to what Tesco would like you to believe, the members in these stores have not ‘defied’ their union, so don’t be fooled. Tesco is involved in telling you lies in an attempt to undermine your solidarity.

Signed

Mandate Trade Union

Mandate Trade Union has today said that if Tesco Ireland commits to not making changes to its workers’ contracts without agreement, then Tuesday’s impending indefinite strike at nine stores around the country could be called off. Another nine stores are due to join the dispute on Friday while other stores around the country are being balloted over the coming days to join the strike.

John Douglas, Mandate’s General Secretary, says that there is an important principal at stake which is about one side being in a position to tear up an existing agreement and impose change against the will of the other side.

“Tesco Ireland are attempting to impose changes to the contracts of employment for approximately 250 workers employed before 1996 which would result in some workers experiencing reduced incomes of up to 20%. The company – which is the most profitable retailer in the country with estimated profits of more than €250 million annually – has never justified the cuts they are seeking to impose on workers who earn slightly more than €14 per hour.

“In recent days, Tesco Ireland have said that the impending strikes are not justified because they have not yet actually made the contractual changes. In response, last Friday Mandate wrote to the management of Tesco Ireland saying that if they committed to not making changes to their staff’s contracts without agreement with them – rather than trying to impose change unilaterally – then the strike due to start on Tuesday could be called off. Unfortunately, to date we have had no response from Tesco Ireland to our letter.”

Mr Douglas said that Tesco’s actions constitute an abuse of the company’s considerable economic power against a small number of local workers who have given more than 20 years of loyal service to the company and its customers.

“No worker wants to go on strike, but our members recognise that if Tesco can get away with tearing up contracts of employment without agreement for pre-1996 staff, it’ll be the 3,000 workers on post-1996 contracts who are currently on a higher hourly rate of pay who will be next. That’s why we’ve seen such strong support from our members in these ballots for industrial action, particularly from those not affected by cuts, yet. They understand that together we are stronger,” John Douglas concluded.

Mandate Trade Union represents more than 10,000 workers at Tesco Ireland 

From Tuesday, 14 February – St Valentine’s Day – the staff in the following nine Tesco stores will be going on indefinite strike:

Dublin

• Tesco, Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2
• Tesco, Ballyfermot Rd, Ballyfermot Upper, Dublin 10
• Tesco, Clearwater Shopping Centre, 11 Finglas Road, Dublin 11

Kerry

• Tesco, Manor West Retail Park, Ratass, Tralee, Co. Kerry

Longford

• Tesco, Rear Main Street, Deanscurragh, Longford

Meath

• Tesco, Navan Town Centre, Kennedy Rd, Dillonsland, Navan, Co. Meath

Offaly

• Tesco, Tullamore Retail Park, Portarlington Road, Cloncollig, Tullamore, Co. Offaly

Sligo

• Tesco, O’Connell Street, Abbeyquarter North, Sligo 

Wicklow

• Tesco, Vevay Road, Bray, Co Wicklow

Stores preparing to join the strike from Friday, 17th February 2017 next:

Dublin

• Tesco, Artane Castle Shopping Centre, Kilmore Rd, Beaumont, Dublin 5
• Tesco, Churchview Road, Kilbogget, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin
• Tesco, Roselawn Shopping Centre, Roselawn Rd, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
• Tesco, 22A Drumcondra Rd Upper, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
• Tesco, Phibsborough Shopping Centre, Phibsborough Road, Phibsborough, Dublin 7
• Tesco, Park Shopping Centre, Prussia Street, Arran Quay, Dublin 7

Mayo

• Tesco, Market Square, Ballina, Co. Mayo

Monaghan

• Tesco, Unit 9 /10, Monaghan Shopping Centre, Dawson St, Tirkeenan, Monaghan

Wicklow

• Tesco, Kilcoole Rd, Rathdown Lower, Greystones, Co Wicklow

Tesco workers across the Republic of Ireland are calling on the company to stop using “alternative facts” in order to undermine the legitimate industrial action due to begin on Tuesday, 14^th February 2017.

Tesco has been making statements about the strike saying workers in five Tesco store have “defied” Mandate’s call for a strike. A worker in the Dundalk store, one of the stores referred to by Tesco in this statement, said this is simply not true.

Tesco are quoted in a local media outlet as saying, “In one of our stores in Dundalk, store colleagues decided not to have a ballot at all and we welcome our colleagues’ decision to take that step.”

Damien Johnston, a Mandate member from the Dundalk store said: “The truth of the matter is, the only pre-1996 worker in our store opted, voluntarily, to accept the company’s offer of a new contract, and therefore there was no reason for us to hold a supportive ballot for industrial action at this moment in time.”

He said, “We have been saying since the very start of this dispute that the company should make no changes to contracts of employment without agreement, and the fact our colleague has agreed to the changes is the only reason we have not balloted, yet.”

“However”, added Mr Johnston, “we are reserving our right to ballot for industrial action in support of our other colleagues across the country in the near future if Tesco management refuse to commit to no changes without agreement.”

Mandate Trade Union said Tesco’s misrepresentation shows the company is worried and urged management to spend more time trying to resolve this dispute rather than spinning lies and fabrications of the truth.

John Douglas, Mandate General Secretary said, “In some stores our members are being told that if they go on strike, they won’t be able to access Family Income Supplement (FIS) or their regular social welfare payments. This type of scaremongering is an interference in their workers’ democratic right to participate in industrial action and needs to be stopped immediately.”

Mr Douglas said the strike can be averted if the company simply ‘commit to no changes without agreement’.

“This behaviour by senior management in Tesco is beyond irresponsible,” said Mr Douglas.

“The intimidation, the threats to their longest serving workers living standards, the risking of an industrial action that could irreparably damage the business make no economic sense.

“All our members are trying to do is protect their livelihoods,” he added.

“While Tesco continues to be the most profitable retailer in the Republic of Ireland paying €250 million every year back to their parent company in the UK and issuing dividends to shareholders, our members, who are already struggling to pay their mortgages, their rent and their other essential bills, are being threatened with cuts of up to 20% in their take-home pay,” concluded Mr Douglas.

Mandate Trade Union members in Tesco will place pickets on nine stores across the Republic of Ireland on St Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, 14^th February 2017 and a further nine will join the strike on Friday, 17^th February 2017.

Once again Mandate is calling on management in Tesco to do the responsible thing and commit to no changes to contracts of employment for any Tesco worker without that workers’ consent.

A full list of strikes is available here.

The Facebook event page for not passing the pickets is here. Please ‘join’ and invite your friends.

Mandate Trade Union has announced that five more Tesco stores have voted in favour of industrial action at the company and will join their colleagues on the picket lines on Friday, 17^th February 2017.

This follows nine Tesco stores who plan to commence strike action on St. Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, 14^th February 2017.

Tesco is attempting to change the contracts of employment of over 250 of their longest serving workers without agreement and imposing new contracts which include cuts to pay and conditions at work.

Tesco have never satisfactorily justified these cuts to pay or conditions of employment and if a company of their size and magnitude get away with this, all workers in Tesco are vulnerable.

Tesco are estimated to be generating between €200m and €250m in profit in the Republic of Ireland alone. The company, however, refuse to publish their profits in the Republic of Ireland.

Meanwhile, the majority of the workers facing attacks on their pay and conditions at work are earning slightly more than than €14 per hour.

John Douglas, Mandate General Secretary said, “Tesco is a hugely profitable multinational retailer making enormous profits in Ireland, buying up distribution companies for billions of euro and paying out dividends to shareholders. Yet they are threatening their most loyal workers into taking cuts to their incomes. These are already low-paid workers and it simply isn’t fair.”

He concluded, “The solution to this dispute is simple. Tesco should commit that they will not change any workers terms and conditions at work without agreement.”

The nine new stores due to strike on Friday, 17^th February include:

1. Tesco, Artane Castle Shopping Centre, Kilmore Rd, Beaumont, Dublin 5
2. Tesco, Market Square, Ballina, Co. Mayo
3. Tesco, Churchview Road, Kilbogget, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin
4. Tesco, Roselawn Shopping Centre, Roselawn Rd, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
5. Tesco, Unit 9 /10, Monaghan Shopping Centre, Dawson St, Tirkeenan, Monaghan
6. Tesco, 22A Drumcondra Rd Upper, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
7. Tesco, Kilcoole Rd, Rathdown Lower, Greystones, Co Wicklow
8. Tesco, Phibsborough Shopping Centre, Phibsborough Road, Phibsborough, Dublin 7
9. Tesco, Park Shopping Centre, Prussia Street, Arran Quay, Dublin 7

The other nine Tesco stores due to strike on St. Valentine’s Day include:

1. Tesco, Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2
2. Tesco, Ballyfermot Rd, Ballyfermot Upper, Dublin 10
3. Tesco, Vevay Road, Bray, Co Wicklow
4. Tesco, Clearwater Shopping Centre, 11 Finglas Road, Dublin 11
5. Tesco, Rear Main Street, Deanscurragh, Longford
6. Tesco, Navan Town Centre, Kennedy Rd, Dillonsland, Navan, Co. Meath
7. Tesco, O’Connell Street, Abbeyquarter North, Sligo
8. Tesco, Manor West Retail Park, Ratass, Tralee, Co. Kerry
9. Tesco, Tullamore Retail Park, Portarlington Road, Cloncollig, Tullamore, Co. Offaly

The Union will continue balloting workers for strike action in a number of stores this evening.

7 February 2017

To all Tesco Members

RE: Update on Ballots

Dear Members,

As you are probably aware, the first phase of Mandate ballots in Tesco locations across Ireland were concluded last night. I am delighted to inform you that over seventy percent (70%) of your fellow members have decided in ballots to support their union and their pre 96 colleagues. By voting for industrial action, they are protecting their voice at work and their long term conditions of employment into the future.

This amazing vote was delivered despite an all-out campaign by local management and Tesco Head Office to interfere with the democratic process of your union.

I know that the last weeks or so have not been easy for you and your colleagues, but I urge you to attend your meeting and listen to the debate before you vote. The decision you make will be one of the most important decisions with regard to the future of not only your existing terms and conditions, but the future of decent work, dignity and respect in Tesco.

Yours fraternally

For Mandate Trade Union

John Douglas
General Secretary

Mandate Trade Union has issued strike notice to Tesco Ireland stating that the action will take place on St. Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, 14^th February 2017 and will continue for an indefinite duration. Members of the Union balloted in favour of strike action by a margin of 78 percent.

Mandate, which represents more than 10,000 workers at the company, say the strike will initially involve 9 stores, but could escalate with a further 15 stores expected to ballot for industrial action tonight and tomorrow night.

Tesco Ireland are attempting to force changes to contracts of employment without agreement for approximately 250 workers employed before 1996. The new contracts would result in some workers experiencing reduced incomes of up to 15 percent along with increased ‘flexibility’. Mandate say any attempts to change any workers’ conditions of employment without agreement will be resisted vigorously by their members.

The Union say the company has never justified the cuts to their workers’ conditions of employment and Tesco’s actions are an abuse of power from a major multinational corporation against a small number of local workers who have given more than 20 years of loyal service.

John Douglas, Mandate General Secretary said, “Tesco is the most profitable retailer in the Republic of Ireland with estimated profits of more than €200 million annually and has recently purchased the largest UK wholesaler Booker for €4.3 billion. The company has confirmed that dividend payments to shareholders will restart this year and their share price has gone up by 33 percent in six months.”

“Meanwhile” added Mr Douglas, “Tesco workers in Ireland who have worked with the company for more than 21 years, and are already classified as low-paid on slightly more than €14 per hour, are being told to accept imposed changes to their contracts or get out the door.”

Mr Douglas said Tesco’s plans are part of a deeper, more sinister plot to weaken the workers’ collective voice which would lead to more part-time, precarious and low-paid jobs.

He explained, “We know that Tesco has hired a multinational legal firm which specialises in union-busting tactics. They have code-named their plan ‘Project Black’ and are trying to undermine any decent contracts of employment remaining in the retail sector in Ireland.”

Tesco began their attack on pre-1996 staff more than one year ago when they intimidated and bullied more than 900 workers out of their jobs through a redundancy programme. The remaining 250 workers in less than 50 stores want to stay in the company on the contracts they have but the company is insisting they accept reduced terms and conditions using a false argument about ‘flexibility’.

Mr Douglas said, “This is about decent work in the retail sector and across the rest of our society. Tesco management managed to get rid of 900 full-time jobs that had some level of stability and could provide a decent, secure income for the workers. Not one of those full time jobs has been replaced.”

He said, “No worker wants to go on strike, but our members recognise that if Tesco can get away with tearing up contracts of employment without agreement for pre-1996 staff, it’ll be the 3,000 workers on post-1996 contracts who are currently on a higher hourly rate of pay next. That’s why we’ve seen such strong support from our members in these ballots for industrial action, particularly from those not affected by cuts, yet. They understand that together we are stronger.”

The Company are placing great emphasis on urging Mandate to accept the Labour Court recommendation. The truth is their commitment to the Labour Court process at this advanced stage is to say the least convenient and somewhat disingenuous as it was a direct result of their actions during the Court process that ensured the recommendation was unlikely to be accepted. Some of the key facts on the Labour Court issue are as follows.

1. Despite many requests from the Union for them to attend the Labour Court, it was 10 months into the dispute before the Company agreed.
2. When the Court issued its recommendation on the 21^st November 2016, not unusually the Union wrote seeking certain clarifications before its contents could be put before the relevant members. Rather surprisingly the Court responded stating that they were not in a position to give the clarifications because the employer objected to them doing so
3. Within hours of the Court’s recommendation being issued the Company stated they accepted its contents. However, they went further than this in that they sought to immediately implement certain aspects of the recommendation prior to it being voted on in its entirety by the relevant Union members. The Court subsequently confirmed in writing that the Company should not have behaved like this prior to the Union and its members having an opportunity to vote of the entirety of the recommendation.
4. Before entering the Court process both parties clearly understood and should have respected that any outcome was not binding on the parties
5. In the main the Labour Court’s recommendation heavily relied on a WRC proposal which had already been rejected by 97% of the relevant Union members.

Mandate is calling on the company to prevent the upcoming strike by guaranteeing that no changes to existing contracts of employment will be made without agreement.

The full list of stores scheduled to participate in the strike include:

• Tesco, Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2
• Tesco, Ballyfermot Rd, Ballyfermot Upper, Dublin 10
• Tesco, Vevay Road, Bray, Co Wicklow
• Tesco, Clearwater Shopping Centre, 11 Finglas Road, Dublin 11
• Tesco, Rear Main Street, Deanscurragh, Longford
• Tesco, Navan Town Centre, Kennedy Rd, Dillonsland, Navan, Co. Meath
• Tesco, O’Connell St, Abbeyquarter North, Sligo
• Tesco, Manor West Retail Park, Ratass, Tralee, Co. Kerry
• Tesco, Tullamore Retail Park, Portarlington Road, Cloncollig, Tullamore, Co. Offaly