Dominick Donnelly

15^th April 2009

Following a meeting this afternoon between representatives of the Mandate trade union and Tesco management in Douglas, Cllr. Dominick Donnelly, the Green Party member of Passage West Town Council and candidate for Cork County Council, has strongly criticised Tesco for the approach they are taking with their existing workforce in Douglas. Tesco want all their existing workforce in Douglas to sign up to new terms and conditions, and for their existing work contracts to be nullified, when they move over to the new Tesco Extra shop at the end of this month, and they showed no willingness to change their attitude at today’s meeting.

Cllr. Donnelly said:  “Tesco are treating their existing employees with disdain, and are trying to bully them into accepting lesser terms and conditions of employment.  There is absolutely no need for this, as all that is happening is that Tesco’s are moving into a new larger store, adjacent to the existing store.  However because the new store will be a Tesco Extra, instead of an ordinary Tesco, the management are trying to use this as an excuse to lessen the terms and conditions of its existing employees.”

“The employees who are members of Mandate have informed me that they are having a meeting next Monday, at which they will decide what course of action to take.  They are feeling completely betrayed and bullied by their employer, and have no intention to take this lying down.  Many of these employees have been with Tesco since they first came to Ireland in 1996, and were with Quinnsworth before that, and are disgusted at how they are now being treated.  All they want is to continue working for Tesco under their existing contracts,” concluded Cllr. Donnelly.