Tesco workers in Mayo to be balloted on industrial action

Ciara Galvin

UP to 540 Tesco workers in Mayo will today (Tuesday) be balloted for industrial action.
The decision to ballot members of the union came after the company refused to accept a Labour Court recommendation.
More than 12,000 Mandate Trade Union members in total, including workers from six stores around the county, will be balloted after Tesco told more than 1,000 of their workers they will not receive a two percent pay increase which was recommended by the Labour Court on February 19. The recommendation also put forward that all workers should receive a share bonus payment.
Tesco has now told more than 1,000 of their workers they will not be receiving the two percent pay increase and will instead be forced to take pay cuts of at least 15 percent from April 18.
Further changes to workers’ conditions of employment include cuts to hours of work, changes to work patterns and loss of bonuses, according to a statement from the trade union.
Tesco Ireland employs up to 14,500 workers in 149 stores in Ireland and while the company does not publish its Irish profits, Mandate estimates the company is making up to €250m in profits annually.
Approximately 128 staff in Castlebar, 71 in Ballina, 85 in Westport, 105 in Claremorris, 83 in Swinford and 67 in Ballinrobe will be balloted today.
“This has to be seen for what it is, an attack on low-paid workers by a very profitable multinational retailer who are trying to increase their profits at the expense of their long serving staff in Ireland,” Mandate General Secretary John Douglas said.
Mr Douglas expressed concerns at the motivations for these cuts saying he believes “Irish workers are being expected to pay for bad investments and accounting scandals associated with the parent company in Britain last year.”
According to Mandate, Tesco have refused to attend the Labour Court for a hearing on their plans to introduce pay cuts for their workers.
Mandate concluded by saying this dispute is entirely avoidable provided the company accept the full terms of the Labour Court recommendation and withdraw their threat to cut employment conditions for their workers on April 18.