Tesco workers strike in Navan

Workers are picketing outside the Tesco store in Navan today in a dispute over attempts to change some workers' contracts without agreement.

The Tesco store in Navan Town Centre remains open despite the strike which the Mandate union says will continue indefinitely.

 

Tesco Navan is one of eight stores where strike action is taking place. The row centres on pre-1996 contracts which affect around 250 of the company's 14,500 staff and attempts to move these workers to new contracts. It is understood that two workers in the Navan store are on these older contracts.

Tesco has described the strike action as 'unjustified' and 'unnecessary' and has called on Mandate to accept the Labour Court Recommendation, which it says is the solution to the issue
Mary Mejdi has worked in the Navan store since 1996 and is one of those on the older contracts. 'It all started in January last year when we were told that from 18th April we would be made go on new modern contracts or take redundancy and our existing contracts would be null and void. Up to then contracts had been collectively bargained by Mandate.'
Ms Mejdi added that the new contract would mean lesser rates of pay and worse terms and conditions.

 

'If they leave the contracts alone, everybody will go back to work,' said shop steward Martin Barry.

Meath West TD Shane Cassells visited workers on the picket line this morning to show his solidarity. 'I hope that Tesco management at a national level will re-engage with Mandate and the workers so that it is resolved,' he said.

Meanwhile, Tesco has accused Mandate of engaging in a 'campaign of myths and misinformation to misguide' their colleagues and damage their business.

A Tesco spokesperson said: 'Despite the actions of Mandate, the company has not made any changes to the pre-1996 terms and conditions of the 250 workers at the centre of the dispute.  Tesco is prepared to abide by the Labour Court Recommendation in relation to this small number out of our 14,500-strong workforce and is calling on Mandate to do the same.  We have always sought to do this by agreement and have spent 13 months in discussions with Mandate.
'The company has followed all the industrial relations processes of the State to seek agreement.  The union referred this matter to the Labour Court, Tesco participated and the Court, which is the cornerstone of industrial relations in the country for decades, ruled on it.  Therefore it is unusual and most abnormal that Mandate is refusing to accept the Labour Court’s Recommendation in this dispute on flexibility.
'The Recommendation protects colleagues’ rate of pay with 90 per cent actually getting an increase in their rate under the Labour Court proposals.  We believe now more than ever that there is an onus on Mandate to abide by the outcomes of the Labour Court which is the agreement the Union, had sought.  That Recommendation remains as the solution to this issue.'