Tesco: show some love for workers in your supply chain
13th February 2009
PHOTO CALL
Date: 13th February
Time:10.30am - 12.30pm
Place: Tesco 17-25 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR.
Protestors will hold a giant Valentine's card addressed to Sir
Terry Leahy, the CEO of Tesco, along with a petition signed by
thousands of workers in the supermarkets' supply chain. Protests
will also take place outside Tesco stores across Britain and
Ireland (see notes to editors).
Thousands of workers employed in the supermarket supply chain
will call on Tesco's CEO, Sir Terry Leahy to have a heart
this Valentine's day. Unite will also hold demonstrations outside
Tesco stores today across Britain and Ireland (Friday 13th
February).
A giant Valentine's card accompanied by a petition signed by
thousands of workers including British, Polish, Portuguese and
Lithuanians working in the UK, will be delivered to Tesco's head
office on February 14th.
The Valentine's card calls on Sir Terry Leahy to make a
commitment to end the harsh and divisive conditions, which the
union believes exists in many of the companies that supply meat to
Tesco stores.
The union has presented Tesco with evidence that workers in its
UK supply chain are experiencing harsh and divisive conditions that
in some cases are abusive. Unite believes that structural
discrimination exists in many parts of the supply chain that
provides meat to Tesco.
Unite's, joint general secretary, Derek Simpson, said: "This
Valentine's, thousands of workers are calling on Sir Terry Leahy
and Tesco to have a heart and show some love for the workers in
Tesco's supply chain. They believe that Tesco’s procurement
practices are creating divisions between migrant and indigenous
workers across Britain and Ireland.
"Unite wants to see minimum standards agreed for workers across
the companies that supply meat to Tesco and to establish Tesco
Ethical Model Factories.
"Tesco dictates the price of the contracts with its suppliers,
we believe the company cannot wash its hands of responsibility.
This will cost next to nothing but will make a world of difference
to workers in Tesco's meat supply chain as well as establishing
Tesco as an ethical leader."
Demonstrators will leaflet customers at Tesco stores across the
country to raise awareness of Unite's ongoing campaign, calling for
justice for workers employed by companies operating in Tesco's UK
meat supply chain
As an indication of the seriousness of Unite's claims, the
powerful Equality and Human Rights Commission has announced that it
is to examine the UK's multi-billion pound meat industry in England
and Wales for evidence of employment abuse and discrimination.
The launch is part of an ongoing campaign by Unite to improve
the treatment of workers, including agency workers, in the UK
supermarket supply chain. Unite is concerned that agency workers
are often on poorer conditions of employment than core workers,
which employers can use to undercut directly-employed workers
leading to division in the workplace and damaging social
cohesion.
ENDS
For further information please contact Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931
315
Notes to editors:
Demonstrations to take place at the following stores:
- London: 17-25 Regents Street, London SW1Y 4LR
- Crawley: Hazlewick Avenue, Three Bridges, Crawley RH10 1SX
- Bristol: Tesco Broadmead 90 - 98 Broadmead Bristol BS1
3DW
- Dublin, Ireland: Talbot Street, Dublin
- Cardiff: Tesco Extra, Western Avenue, Cardiff CF14
3AT
- Kettering:Carina Road, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN15
6XB
- Sale: Hereford Street, Sale, Cheshire M33 7XN
- Airdrie: High Street, Aidrie, Lanarkshire ML6 9DU
- Leeds: Leeds Bond Street, West Riding House, Leeds, W.
Yorkshire LS1 5BQ
Text of the Valentines card
Dear Terry Leahy,
Thousands of workers employed in companies that supply meat to
Tesco are calling on you as CEO of Tesco to have a heart this
Valentine's day. They want you and Tesco to make a commitment to
end the harsh and divisive conditions which exist in many of the
companies that supply meat to your stores.
Tesco has the power to end the unfair employment practices
within the meat supply chain. Your company dictates the price of
the contracts with suppliers. You have the influence to insist that
the suppliers treat their workers fairly.
Mr Leahy show you care and work with Unite to end the divisions
hurting workers and communities in the UK.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission, established in 2007,
is to use its powers to undertake its first ever Inquiry into a key
sector of the economy. The Inquiry will consider the two-tier
employment practices within the meat supply chain, a significant
industry employing some 40,000 workers across Britain engaged in
processing and packing meat for sale in supermarkets and retailers
across the British Isles.
The Commission will be examining the relationship between
employment and supply chain practices with forced down terms and
conditions and abuse of workers within the sector. In particular,
the Commission will be examining the differentials in treatment
between agency and permanent workers, UK and migrant workers, and
the knock-on effect of this for community relations.
Ethical Model Factories would be based on the belief that all
workers undertaking the same work, who are equally qualified,
should be treated equally from the commencement of employment,
including being paid equally, regardless of employment status.
Unite is also committed to ensuring agency workers have a route to
permanent employment following 13 weeks of continuous work.
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