Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Since the Business Committee met on Thursday to agree this business, there has been a very important development at the largest private sector employer in this State, namely, Tesco. New stores have come out on strike and talks have broken down. I request that the Business Committee meet today to discuss tabling Tesco as a matter for debate in the Dáil this week. This is the largest private sector employer in the State, as I said, and the most profitable retailer, making €250 million per year in profits but willing to rip up the contracts of its longest-serving employees. This has repercussions for every single employer in the State. Other employers will copy Tesco if it gets away with it. Pay cuts of 15% for the workers affected are proposed-----

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