Tesco Workers Begin Protests for Respect & Representation
Thursday 12 December 2024Members of the Mandate Trade Union have today (Thursday, 12th December 2024) launched public protests following Tesco management’s decision to deny workers their right to be represented by their trade union and refusing to agree to an adequate pay increase.
The first protest took place at Ardkeen in Waterford at 10am.
According to Mandate, the protests will continue until Tesco agree to “respect their workers”.
Mandate has negotiated on behalf of Tesco workers with the company since it entered the Irish market in 1997. However, in recent years, Tesco management have refused to collectively bargain and instead imposed pay awards on workers.
Mandate say the imposition of these pay awards is wholly inadequate and is a sign of the disrespect Tesco has for its own employees:
“Tesco is a highly profitable company and that’s because of their staff,” said Lorraine O’Brien, Mandate General Secretary.
“Tesco sales are up 9.4 percent in Ireland, their after tax profits rose by 10 percent and they paid a dividend of €100m to the parent company, but wages only went up by 4% in 2024. The company announced a 3 percent increase for 2025, which is only half the pay claim of 6 percent that we lodged a number of months ago,” she added.
Mandate condemns Tesco’s refusal to engage in meaningful collective bargaining and its total disregard for the pay and benefits claims submitted by Mandate members.
Ms O’Brien added: “The company’s actions can only be seen as a clear act of bad faith tantamount to textbook union-busting tactics.
“Tesco’s refusal to allow union members to vote on any final proposed agreement exposes the undemocratic nature of the company’s actions and exposes the myth that Ireland’s voluntarist industrial relations system is a level playing field for all parties.
“Mandate is highlighting through these protests the manner in which our members are disrespected on an ongoing basis.
“We will continue to engage with our members across the country to ensure that they receive Fair Play and Fair Pay. Our message is simple, Tesco Respect Your Workers,” concluded Ms O’Brien.
Further protests will be announced in the coming days.
ENDS
