Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In an e-mail I received one of the workers in Tesco, Mark, states his mortgage, car loan and health insurance are all at risk. He and his colleagues, he continues, want to do a day's work and get on with their lives without a threat hanging over them. If the company gets workers on pre-1996 contracts, he warns, others must watch their backs because they will be next.

I reiterate the point made by Deputy Clare Daly. Under current legislation, a worker's contract cannot be changed without agreement. Tesco workers rejected the Labour Court recommendation because it did not clarify many of their concerns and questions. The Minister must tell Tesco to stop using the tactics it has employed. It is breaking the law and should be told it cannot behave in this manner in Ireland. It should also be told to withdraw the threats it has made and negotiate again with workers.

See this speech in context