Strike planned at two Tesco shops in run up to Christmas

Workers in the Sligo and Carrick-on-Shannon Tesco stores have voted in favour of strike action in the lead up to Christmas.

Mandate Trade Union has served notice that Sligo workers will strike on Thursday, December 6th, and again on Friday, December 14th. The Carrick-on-Shannon workers will strike on Saturday, December 22nd.

The trade union said the industrial action is taking place because workers have been denied the right to collective representation.

The Sligo store voted in favour of industrial action by a margin of 97per ccent, with an 85 per cent turnout in the ballot. Carrick-on-Shannon also had an 85 per cent turnout, with 81 per cent voting in favour of strike.

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Mandate said Tesco has in recent years engaged in a campaign to “de-recognise” their workers’ union. “There is a possibility more dates will be added and other stores may join their colleagues in the coming weeks and months should the company not abide by agreements and allow their workers’ their right to collective representation,” the union said.

Tesco has urged Mandate to call off the strikes. The retailer said the action is in breach of the company and union’s agreed procedures which are to refer disputes to the Workplace Relations Commission.

“If Mandate proceeds with the proposed unwarranted one-day strike actions for the two stores, both will continue to remain open to serve customers,” a spokeswoman said. “We regret that Mandate is inflicting this inconvenience on our customers in December when our stores are at their busiest and particularly given these stores are close to the Border.

“We call on Mandate to abide by procedures and to immediately withdraw its strike notices for Sligo and Carrick-on-Shannon. A conciliation conference on the two issues in Sligo was scheduled at the Workplace Relations Commission for October 24th but was rejected by Mandate. In Carrick-on-Shannon, the matters have not yet been referred back to the WRC by Mandate. Tesco has always abided by agreed procedures and we expect Mandate to do the same.”