Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise again the issue of Tesco, which I raised yesterday on the Order of Business. Senators received further correspondence from the company yesterday evening. I have just left a meeting with Mandate across the road and, as an experienced trade unionist, I am genuinely shocked by what I heard at first hand from Mandate members about the levels of intimidation meted out to them.People have been called into offices to be told that their only choice is redundancy or to take the new terms. Some with 20 years of loyal service have been called in a second time and been presented with flowers, wine and a "Thank you" card to be told that they are leaving. That is a fact. It is happening to these people.

We have received two letters from Tesco full of propaganda. Mandate made a simple request, namely, that each of us as elected representatives write back and ask the company whether it will agree not to implement these changes without the agreement of the workers. Let us not forget that those concerned are the longest serving staff members in Tesco with over 20 years' experience and are in some cases, after all that time, earning the princely sum of €14 per hour.

We must put this in context. Yesterday, we rightly raised the issue of 500 job losses at Hewlett Packard. I was not aware that Tesco had done away with 900 permanent jobs in the past year, to be replaced by precarious work. We are discussing a dumbing down of the retail sector, a race to the bottom. This is a pure example of what is happening. Tesco is the largest private sector employer in the State. No one in the Chamber approves of what is happening. I ask all Senators to take action today and send a clear message to Tesco to leave their loyal workers alone. I hope that every Senator will stand with Mandate and its workers in their courageous stand for decent work. Will the Leader invite the Minister to the House urgently? The largest private sector employer in the State is behaving disgracefully.