Hey,
distributed this basic leaflet at our local Tesco warehouse (1,400 workers in total, incl. 600 drivers) today. USDAW union does not to be too interested to inform workers here about the dispute...
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Tesco Workers on Strike – From Ireland to the UK
In Ireland Tesco workers are on strike against management attack on terms and conditions. At the heart of this dispute is the desire of companies for a casualised and precarious workforce. Tesco have set their sights on the pre-1996 contracts of 250 employees, who refused to take redundancy - the proposed new contracts would impose a 15% wage cut and more ‘flexibility’. Tesco have attempted to isolate them, but their colleagues act in solidarity.
The Mandate Trade Union has said that after the current round of ballots over 2,000 Tesco workers in 22 stores will be on strike end of February – the strike began with only eight stores – with more stores due to be balloted. The first strikes were solid, even the delivery workers employed by G4S refused to cross the picket line. Company’s own figures show that striking stores are down over 80% in sales while non-striking stores business has fallen by up to 30%
In the UK things are not much different: last year hundreds of staff lost out as a result of the pay deal which caused pay cuts in overtime, weekend and night premiums. But unlike in Ireland there was not even talk about strike here in the UK. Meanwhile Tesco CEO Dave Lewis received £4.1 million in his first six months as boss in 2015 and Tesco reported that it had its best sales growth at the end of last year’s quarter for over five years. This profit was further boosted by the Christmas sales meaning that Tesco is on course to deliver a profit of “at least” £1.2 billion for 2016-17.
Follow news on the strike in Ireland:
#TescoStrike
#EveryLittleHurts
#EveryWorkerCounts
https://tescoworkers.com
Get in touch with West London Workers’ Solidarity Network:
Email us: [email protected]
Read our newspaper here: workerswildwest.wordpress.com