Growing Mayo anger over shock loss of Tesco security jobs

Mandate Trade Union is up in arms after almost 100 Tesco security workers were told their jobs will be lost by the end of the month as the company prepares to outsource their roles to OCS security services.

Mandate has said the deadline put to workers for a decision on their future of March 1 is “unrealistic” and “disrespectful.”

The move affects security staff employed at Tesco stores in Mayo.

The union is calling on the company to drop their ultimatum.

Tesco security workers were called into meetings last Tuesday and told their jobs were being outsourced with three options: severance payment; redeployment to other positions in their store, if available; or a transfer to OCS security services.

At a meeting of all security staff yesterday, Keith Leonard, Tesco security officer in Castlebar, said: “I’ve been spat at, threatened and beaten up for this company over the last 16 years.

"Then on Tuesday on my day off the company calls me to tell me my job is gone. It’s upsetting and disrespectful and we all deserve so much better.”

He added: “How do I look my family in the eye when the mortgage company comes to take away our home because Tesco took my livelihood away?”

Mandate say the company dropping this bombshell on their workers who have dedicated more than 30 years to the company in some instances is insulting.

“These are the ‘frontline’ and ‘essential’ workers we all celebrated at the start of the pandemic, and after all they’ve been through, they are now being told that they are disposable,” said Jonathan Hogan, Mandate's assistant general secretary.

Mr. Hogan said that Tesco must show some respect and engage in meaningful negotiations in relation to their security staff:

“Tesco has had a long relationship with Mandate Trade Union which has always represented the Tesco security staff and they know how they should do business. They should have come to us first before upsetting our members with news that their future is uncertain,” said Mr Hogan.

“They don’t know what types of contract they’ll be working on if they transfer to OCS, they don’t know if there are spaces in the stores they work in and they don’t know the implications of accepting a severance package. This all needs to be negotiated,” he said.

Mandate and Tesco management are scheduled to meet for negotiations on Thursday.

An elected member of Mayo County Council, Councillor Donna Sheridan, said her thoughts are with Keith Leonard and the 100 security staff of Tesco Ireland who got such distressing news.

"As a trade unionist I think it is extremely disrespectful and unacceptable to announce this to staff without any engagement with the Mandate Trade Union.

"Tesco should reconsider their position and respect their frontline staff and the unions that represent them."

The People Before Profit spokesperson in Mayo has also condemned the decision by Tesco.

In a statement Joe Daly said: “Retail Security Officers have been told by Tesco, a company that made £2.3 Billion profit in 2019, that it is going to terminate their contracts as direct employees and transfer them without any consultation to a private company called OCS Ireland.

"A limited severance package has been offered which won’t compensate the workers and will force most of them to accept their new employer”

“This is a kick in the teeth for these loyal workers, many of whom have been working for Tesco for over 20 years and have slogged through the pandemic bravely on the frontlines.

"They will no longer be able to benefit from the Tesco pension scheme or avail of other schemes like save as you earn.

"They will also lose their discount cards at a time of rampant inflation in consumer goods.

“Furthermore, there is nothing to stop Tesco from changing security companies in future and potentially leave these workers without a job or working for a private security firm of dubious reputation.

“This bombshell has been dropped on this section of Tesco workers as a cynical ploy to gain leverage the day before their union Mandate was entering negotiations with the company on a disputed contract for all workers which was rejected by 88% of union members.

“We call on Tesco to reverse this cynical decision and to negotiate in good faith with Mandate and to listen to the democratic will of their workers who have rejected by overwhelming majority their plans to slash pay and conditions.

“We urge all workers to get organised to repel this attack on workers basic rights. Non- unionised workers in Tesco should join Mandate and organise themselves to protect their living standards.

"Finally we call on the general public to support the heroic retail workers in their struggle, money out of their pockets is money out of the local economy and into the swollen bank accounts of Tesco shareholders.”