Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
105 workers taken on by supermarket
Tesco will be taking on the additional employees to deal with festive shoppers at the busiest time of the year for retailers.
It comes after the manager of Dundee’s Jobcentre Plus revealed Dundonians applying for seasonal Christmas jobs has resulted in 155 fewer people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in November.
A spokeswoman for Tesco announced today that 105 extra members of staff would be required for over the next three weeks.
Along with the three Tesco Extra stores in the city — on South Road, the Kingsway and Riverside Drive — there are another five smaller stores in Dundee, including petrol stations.
Meanwhile, supermarket rivals Asda said the firm would be giving current staff additional hours in its Dundee stores to cope with the additional demand over the festive period.
The retailer, which is owned by American company Walmart, has three Asda superstores in the city, in Kirkton, Milton and Kingsway West.
A spokeswoman said: “The run-up to Christmas is our busiest time and over the last few years we have chosen to give our colleagues the opportunity to increase their hours in the first instance, rather than bring in seasonal workers.
“This approach has worked well and meant we can look after our customers and colleagues.”
Elsewhere, clothing and homeware company Next said there were 37 positions created for the run-up to Christmas. The store added that it was still recruiting. A spokeswoman said the staff would be spread across the firm’s three stores, with 13 staff to be taken on at the Gallagher Retail Park, 27 at the Overgate and a further 10 at the Next Home store, at the Kingsway Retail Park. Councillor Fraser Macpherson, whose West End constituency includes the Tesco Extra in Riverside Drive, said he hoped that some of the roles could turn into long-term employment. He said: “I’m obviously delighted that Tesco, Next and other employers are taking on additional staff over the Christmas period. “Hopefully some of these temporary contracts lead to permanent work.”
ONE of Dundee’s l argest employers has taken on more than 100 extra staff to cope with demand in the run-up to Christmas.