Having been suspended without pay by their new employers Stobart, 25 ex Tescos truck drivers (members of SIPTU) have placed a picket on the giant Tesco warehouse in Donabate in North County Dublin.
Joe Higgins MEP comment:
“Over the last two months my office has been in regular contact with the workers who fought a hard rearguard action to protect their pay and conditions as Tesco outsourced their jobs to a company of which they own 49%.
“Stobart already employ truck drivers at little above the minimum wage and the former Tesco drivers have rightly held out to ensure that the pay and conditions they won with this highly profitable company are protected to the last cent
“The law regarding Transfer of Undertakings does not cover pensions and a significant amount of the workers fear for their defined benefit pensions. Other fringe benefits such as a savings scheme and privilege card also remain unresolved.
“I want to put on record my support for these workers and call on SIPTU and MANDATE who organise the shop workers in Tesco to give full backing to the workers and for goods transported by strike breaking labour to be blacked
Councillor Clare Daly , Socialist Party elected representative in Swords and SIPTU shop steward in Aer Lingus pledged the active support of local Socialist Party activists:
“This is the latest episode of the race to the bottom. Every cent Tesco and Stobart seek to rob from the truck drivers is intended to further fatten the wallets of the shareholders, it’s as simple as that.
“The wider public can play their part supporting these victimised workers by boycotting Tesco but key to outright victory is the successful disruption of Tesco distribution by all workers in the supply chain.
