Chain's 13,000 Irish workers to get 2% rise from next January

Tesco ballotTesco's 13,000 Irish workers are in line for a 2 per cent pay rise from next January.

Retail trade union Mandate, which represents the supermarket group’s Irish staff, confirmed yesterday that a majority of them had voted in favour of the 2 per cent pay increase in a ballot.

The staff will receive the pay increase from January 1st next, according to Mandate divisional organiser Brendan O’Hanlon, who said that all grades will be entitled to it.

It will cover the period up to and including the end of February 2014.

The union and Tesco management negotiated the increase after Mandate made a pay demand to the company earlier this year. Mandate recommended the deal to its members in the supermarket chain and they were balloted in recent weeks. The union said 79 per cent of them voted in favour of the deal.

The retailer surprised investors in January when it announced there will be “minimal” growth in earnings in its current financial year.