A message from Gerry Light to all Mandate members in Tesco Ireland

In our last communication issued only this morning we outlined the situation regarding your current pay claim and the three distinct elements contained within it. Remarkably since then management have announced that they are going to impose a 2% pay increase backdated to April 2016 despite the fact that negotiations with your Union regarding all aspects of your pay claim are still ongoing.

By acting in this way your employer has effectively disregarded the collective negotiating process and the power that it gives you as Union members. Clearly their offer falls short having regard to all elements of what is being currently claimed on your behalf.

In communication issued by management to staff they say the 2% increase is in recognition of all your hard work over the past year. It’s just a pity that they have taken a full nine months to show this recognition, remember the claim for an increase was originally served by your Union in April 2016.

Your Union also believes that your hard work should be sufficiently rewarded not with a 2% but rather a 3% pay increase along with an equal hourly pay rate for all and also through the provision of more hours and full time contracts.

In the near future you and your fellow Union members will be asked if you are prepared to be treated like this and ignored by your employer or whether you are prepared to stand together and fight for the pay increases, recognition and respect that you deserve. It appears that the position of your employer is that they believe they have the right to tell you what’s best for you whilst removing your right to have any say in the matter.

Along with the announcement on pay the company also stated today that they will in the near future force changes to the terms and conditions of your fellow pre 1996 members. Whether it’s about forcing through changes to contracts of employment or determining the level of pay increase your hard work deserves your employer now clearly believes they can do this with or without your agreement.

The question is whether you and your fellow Union members are prepared to let them treat you like this. Its pre 96 contracts and pay today, you must ask yourself, what and who is next? Once again these recent events have shown that without doubt TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER and through standing together we can defend and grow your conditions of employment.