Tesco workers left ‘with no choice’ but to strike
TESCO workers in Sligo say they were left with no choice but to strike last Thursday in a dispute over collective representation.
Employees in Sligo voted 97% in favour of industrial action with an 85% turnout.
Denise Curran, Shop Steward for Mandate for local Tesco workers, told The Sligo Champion that they want their voice to be heard.
“We’re out on strike today to protect our collective agreements. This company wants to de-unionise our trade union, get rid of our voice. We want to maintain what we have maintained for many years, we want our trade union, we want the company to go back and recognise the long standing service that we have had with the trade union.
“The issues are going on the last three or four years. It’s got worse in the last couple of years. They’re now just singling out small issues and then they’re going to escalate it, that’s the fear. We know what they’re going to do and while leaving us with no trade union or voice, where do we go. What do we do? The working class person - where do they go?”
The disputes began in 2016 when Tesco asked their long-term staff to sign new contracts, for less pay.
“It’s going back two years ago, that started it. They no longer wanted us after all those years. Our loyalty to them, our service and they wanted us to change our contracts, go down to the lower scale, reduce any entitlement that Mandate has fought for over the years, they were going to delete all that.
“I’ve worked here for 32 years and I’m a shop steward for well over 20 years. I have never seen anything like I have today. It’s absolutely unbelievable. A couple of years ago we didn’t have 100% support because it was only a certain group of workers. Now everyone is on board because a couple of years ago we said what would eventually happen down the line and it’s happening now to all staff, regardless of their years of service. It’s happening from the bottom right to the top.
“They’ve cut hours, they’ve cut overtime. What they want is for us all to sign 20 hour a week contracts. They’re the people that gave Tesco the award for ‘ best place to work 2018’, they actually gave that to themselves. No-one rewarded them. Typical propaganda, they’re trying to fool their customers, we’re not putting up with it anymore.”
Denise stressed the fact that workers do not want to be on strike - but they have been left with no choice, she says.
“We do not want to be on strike. We do not want to be here. These are low paid workers out here on the picket line. It’s coming up to Christmas, these people have got young families, kids, mortgages to be paid. They’re losing a day’s pay. They can’t afford that. We have no choice. We’re going to stand up and fight for our trade union and collective agreements.
“We’re going to strike again on the 14 th and we’ ll see what happens after that. We’ ll keep fighting for this.”
Sligo workers will strike again this Friday (December 14 th while Carrick-on-Shannon workers will strike on Saturday, 22nd December.