June 9th 2021
To: All Mandate Members
Re: Pay & Benefit Claim -Covid-19 Related issues
From: Tesco National Strategy Team
Dear Member,
We hope you are well and hopefully getting to benefit from the gradual reopening of the country. As part of our commitment to better more timely communication, please see below update regarding a number of matters which we have been communicating with the company on your behalf.
Pay & Benefits Claim
You will recall, following a series of regional meetings with your Shop Stewards/Store Representatives, we lodged a pay claim with the company which included;
A Substantial Pay Increase
Increase in Share Bonus
Pay Equality Between Current Pay Scales
In the Mandate Update on May 18th we brought to your attention the lack of a detailed response from the company and advised that we would take the company’s “non-response- response” to the Regional Shop Stewards Meeting on May 25th.
Following the meeting the Shop Steward decided that any pay award must be negotiated with their union, Mandate, and secondly must take account of the exceptionally good trading period arising from the Covid-19 crisis, finally that the pay question must be subject to a vote of Mandate Members. Accordingly your union’s General Secretary Gerry Light has written to the company seeking an immediate meeting regarding your pay claim as well as seeking clarity with regards to the guaranteed bonus , Click Here to view the correspondence in full.
Covid-19 Related Issues
Similar to the Pay & Benefits issues your union had communicated with the company regarding Covid-19 sick pay and facilities for members receiving vaccinations. The lack of a meaningful response from the company to those matters was also considered at the May meeting of Shop Stewards. Your Shop Stewards reported that there appears to be no consistency with regard to how attendance at vaccination appointments are being managed with some members reporting being paid in full, whilst others having to take time at their own expense. Accordingly your union also wrote to the company in this regard, Click Here to view the correspondence in full.
We will of course keep you informed of any updates regarding the above matters and as part of our “Tesco Workers- Know Your Rights” updates this week, we will be covering the topic of Maternity, Adoptive and Fertility Leave.
What can you do to Help?
A lot of members have been in touch asking is there anything they can do to help. At this stage the answer is simple, talk to your colleagues about the pay claim and other issues within your workplace, make sure any new colleagues or colleagues who have recently joined the company are aware of your Union, Mandate. You can start by sharing this update with them directly or in store Whats App groups.