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

I express my solidarity with and support for the Tesco workers and the union that took up this issue and also for the thousands of customers who did not pass the picket lines and did not shop in Tesco stores. The latter was an important act of solidarity which brought it to a conclusion, or to a stage where they will go into talks on Friday.

The key point I want to make today is on the issue of access for workers to the trade union movement. Unless legislation is brought in to allow union representatives to go on the shop floor, talk to their members and represent them on the shop floor, this will continue. Tesco has been a reasonably good shop for unions to work with. However, it is looking at all the other shops that have worse pay and conditions and saying that it could have a bite of that cherry as well. Collective bargaining and access to unions is the important outcome that has to come from this.

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