Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are talking about 250 people in a workforce of 14,500. I applaud all the Tesco workforce who voted in support of their companions who work alongside them and are fighting to hold onto their current terms and conditions. Everybody sees the unfairness of what Tesco is trying to do. The power of protest has been demonstrated by the drop of 80% in sales in the picketed Tesco stores in the course of the 11-day dispute, while the drop has been more than 30% in others.

The balance between workers' rights and employers is important and it is good that the strike is not happening while talks are ongoing. We need to plead with Tesco to show fairness to the workers whom they are subjecting to this mistreatment.

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