May 7th 2021
To: All Mandate Members – Tesco Ireland Limited
Re: Pay & Benefits , Covid-19 Related Matters
Dear Member,
We hope you and your families are safe and well particularly in these unprecedented and challenging times. Mandate has long campaigned for Decency for Retail Workers and although long overdue you have been validated as a vital front line service throughout the Covid 19 Pandemic.
With this in mind we would like to update you on the following live issues within your employment.
Pay & Benefits
As you may be aware, your Union wrote to the the company on April 21st lodging a Pay & Benefits claim on your behalf, following extensive consultation with your Shop Stewards. The claim includes:
A Substantial Pay Increase
Increase in Share Bonus
Pay Equality Between Current Pay Scales
Rather disappointingly, to date the company has failed to respond to the letter, as a result we have again written to the company seeking immediate engagement regarding your claim Click Here to see copy of the letter.
We will of course keep you updated of any developments, however in the interim it is vital that we continue to build capacity within the store by asking your colleagues to Join Your Union as well as ensuring we have an active and functional house committee.
Covid-19 Absences and Vaccination Support
At this stage Mandate has written to the company on three separate occasions in relation to Covid-19 absences and vaccination support for our members.
On the 12th March 2020, the company announced and confirmed with staff, temporary changes to support our members falling ill during the outbreak of Covid-19. This meant that medically certified colleagues would be paid sick pay from the first day of absence (waiving the usual waiting period) less the value of the Social Welfare illness benefit for COVID-19 cases.
While the measures implemented in 2020 were welcomed, logical and reasonable, it now transpires the company has decided to apply the normal sick pay policy to all absences, including Covid related absences. This will result in members across the company experiencing a loss of income on the first three days of their absence, due to Covid related illness.
Given our members’ significant contribution to the Tesco business over the past twelve months, manifested through the surge in sales and growth in profits, we are seeking the restoration and application of the “no waiting days” for all Covid related illness absences ensuring the positive financial, health and wellbeing of all our members impacted by Covid-19.
We are also seeking the following accommodation in relation to the vaccination support for members:
Paid time off in order to facilitate our members’ attendance at vaccination appointments. Paid time off in circumstances where our members experience a short term excessive negative reaction to the vaccine which prohibits their attendance at work.
Please Click Here to view Mandate’s letter to the Company.
Regional Meetings
Please note to discuss the above matters in more detail, we will shortly be convening a regional meeting of all Shop Stewards across the country. Therefore, we urge you to ensure that your local store is represented at the meetings.
If you have any comments or queries, don’t hesitate to contact you local office.
Yours fraternally,
Gerry Light
Divisional Organiser