Council voices support for ousted Tesco workers

The elected members of Cavan County Council have voiced their support for the 30 or so Cavan Tesco workers prepared to strike in a row over plans by the company to reduce their terms and conditions.

The Anglo-Celt understands that up to 25 long-service staff, many of whom had been with the retailer since its Quinnsworth days, have now accepted terms of redundancy rather than accept pay cuts of between 15-35% .
The dispute centres on proposals by Tesco to move staff employed before 1996 to a different contract introduced for personnel taken on after that date.
The pre-1996 contract involves higher rates of pay and better conditions than those set out in the subsequent contract, and the 1,000 staff nationwide affected by the change last month voted overwhelmingly for strike action when balloted by their unions.
Tesco in the meantime has offered to pay staff affected by the move to the post-1996 contracts 2.5 years their annual loss of earnings.
The voluntary redundancy scheme saw those willing to leave receive five weeks per year of service, uncapped.
At last Monday’s meeting Sinn Fein’s Eugene Greenan voiced his support for the Tesco staff affected, those leaving as well as those willing to stay on.
Claiming that the offer to accept redundancy was Tesco’s “only offer really”, he described it as a “truly worrying time” whereby companies could change an employees terms of employment as has happened.
“I have been accused of being anti-Tesco. I am not, I am pro-Cavan. By their actions, Tesco’s contribution to our local economy has been reduced.”
Fianna Fail’s Shane P O’Reilly seconded the motion of support, saying calling Tesco’s move to change conditions for staff, some of whom had worked more than two-decades, “nothing short of disgraceful”.
“It borders on beyond belief. Big is not always beautiful and as their slogan claims 'Every little helps’, I say to them 'Every little hurts’. By their actions that company has done nothing to endear itself to the Irish people.”
Support was also given by Clifford Kelly and John Paul Feeley (FF), as well as Paddy McDonald (SF).
Tesco Ireland told The Anglo-Celt htta the company does not comment on discussions with individual colleagues.
However a spokesperson said: “Following our proposal to move all pre-1996 colleagues onto our main contract, which the majority of our colleagues are on, we have been doing everything we can to reach agreement on the terms of this move including compensation for loss of earnings. In addition to this, and based on feedback from our colleagues, we also opened a voluntary redundancy scheme at 5 weeks per year of service uncapped.
“There was strong uptake of this scheme which has now closed. We need to make this change so that we can improve our customer service and unlock inflexibility in our stores. As such, our focus is now on reaching an agreement on the terms for our remaining colleagues moving to our main contract,” Tesco said.