WITH Tesco promising to roll out their controversial re-pricing initiative to Limerick, it has emerged that strike action is planned at their Roxboro Thomond Shopping Centre outlet following the enforced reduction in working hours there.
Sixty Mandate Trade Union members who work at the store voted in favour of industrial action as a result of the cutback in hours, which amounted to up to 10 hours less work per week and causing much distress among workers
, according to the Union.
The staff involved plan on picketing outside the store on July 2, with further action planned for July 9 and 10.
Mandate Division organiser Brian Higgins, told The Limerick Post: “This Trade Union has an agreement with Tesco that our members work a banded amount of hours, that is 20 to 25 hours a week.
“To begin with, hours were dropped to the bottom of this band, and then dropped to a lower band, meaning some workers hours were reduced by as many as 10 hours a week. The affects are widespread and amount to a significant drop in pay for staff”.
Mr. Higgins confirmed that the reduction in hours had been ongoing over a period of time and that following a ballot on June 12, it was found that members were “overwhelmingly in favour” of strike action.
He added that as hours had been increased in some border stores, following an initial reduction, it was hoped that the same would happen in Roxboro following the action.
Nineteen Tesco stores across the country, including Roxboro and the Roscrea branch, will take part in the protest.
Tesco has also been in the news recently following the revelation that Irish products were being replaced with English goods in their stores, as reported in The Limerick Post.
