Mandate Trade Union disappointed at 3% 2026 pay award for Tesco Ireland staff
Friday 5 December 2025Mandate Trade Union has today expressed its disappointment that Tesco Ireland Ltd has chosen again this year to issue a unilateral pay award to its staff ignoring the union’s request for it to engage in collective bargaining.
The union’s Assistant General Secretary, Jim Fuery, explained that the 3% pay award is the same percentage issued to staff as last year while the Irish operation of Tesco saw profits of €185.3 million, equating to over a half a million-euro profit per day, up €65 million on last year’s profits.
Mandate had sought a pay increase in keeping with ICTU’s Private Sector pay recommendation of between 4-7% but Tesco’s pay award is below that and has fallen in real terms as our members have to contend with increased inflation, food inflation and a cost of living crisis.
“According to its latest accounts, Tesco Ireland Ltd paid €120 million to its ultimate parent company, Tesco plc in the UK and a further €20 million dividend from Tesco Mobile’s Irish operation was also paid to the parent group. This 3% pay award is a disservice to the company’s staff and fails to satisfy their desire to share in the rewards that the company is increasingly enjoying which are earned by our members’ hard work,” Jim Fuery concluded.
