USDAW responds to speculation about Tesco job cuts

Shopworkers' union USDAW has responded to reports of plans to slash jobs at Tesco, including on bakery, meat and fish counters.

Pauline Foulkes - Usdaw National Officer said:

“Reports and speculation in the media about significant job cuts are distressing for Tesco staff and it is appalling that they should hear about the future of their jobs in this way. Usdaw is seeking an urgent meeting with the company to clarify the situation, to examine the details of what changes they are proposing and what this means for staff. Our priority will be to press Tesco to confirm the details of their proposed changes to stop any further speculation. In the meantime Usdaw’s officials and reps are on hand to support our members and further updates will be provided once we have further information”.

The BBC carried information about the rumoured cuts in an article you can read by clicking here.
The Mail on Sunday carried an article you can read here.

Our solidarity with USDAW and its members at Tesco stores in Eastbourne! 

Next Trades Council: Tuesday 9th October

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 9th October, at the View Hotel (formerly T&G/Unite Centre) , Grand Parade, Eastbourne. All local trade unionists (including retired trade unionists) are invited. 

A G E N D A 

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Approval of any new affiliations.

3. Minutes of previous meeting (July) and matters arising.

4. Treasurer's Report

5. Campaigns Update:
(a) Derecognition of NEU at East Sussex College Group
(b) RMT ongoing safety dispute at Southern
(c) Retail Update
(d) NHS Update including pay settlement and DGH parking
(e) IndyCube and Community Union self-employed workers' campaigning.

6.  Anti-Cuts campaigns: including East Sussex Save the NHS, People's Assembly and campaign against Social Care Cuts in ESCC.

7. Events:
(a) Modern Slavery campaign- possible link with the Co-op Party campaigning
(b) Engels Plaque update
(c) Pride Report

8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Next Trades Council Meeting: 3rd July

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be at 7.30pm, Tuesday 3rd July, at the View Hotel (formerly T&G/Unite Centre) , Grand Parade, Eastbourne. All local trade unionists (including retired trade unionists) are invited. 

A G E N D A 

1. Introductions and apologies for absence

2. Approval of any new affiliations.

3. Minutes of previous meeting (May) and matters arising.

4. Treasurer's Report

5. Anti-Cuts Campaigns: Updates on the various campaigns including the Unison campaigns at ESCC and NHS, the campaign to save the Music Service, the East Sussex Save the NHS Campaigning, and the demonstration against cuts to SEN Children's Services.

6. Other live union disputes and campaigns:
(a) GMB Dispute at Eastbourne DGH
(b) Teachers' Pay Dispute
(c) RMT safety dispute at Southern
(d) Retail Update

7. Events:
(a) Eastbourne Pride: To agree arrangements for the stall on the day, and to encourage trade unionists to march.
(b) Modern Slavery campaign- possible link with the Co-op Party campaigning
(c) "Will and Testament"- proposed Eastbourne showing of the Tony Benn film by local Labour Party
(d) Engels Plaque update

8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

May Day: We marched!

Eastbourne trade unionists proudly marched through the town on Monday to mark International Workers' Day.  This year, the march proudly welcomed a contingent of staff, parents and students from the East Sussex Music Service, whose instrumental teaching service was earmarked for closure last month.  Nearly 12,000 people have signed the petition against closure: if you haven't yet, please click here.

Other banners and flags on the march included the National Education Union, Unite the Union, RMT, Unite Communuity,  Usdaw, The People's Assembly, Eastbourne Labour Women's Forum,  East Sussex Co-operative Party,  and Devonshire and Meads Labour Party. 

A rally and picnic at the Wish Tower slopes was introduced by Trades Council secretary Dave Brinson. Attendees heard an impassioned speech from Jane Humberstone, union rep at East Sussex Music Service, as well as from  Lucette Davies from East Sussex Save the NHS,  Unison's Chrissie Parsons about threatened social care closures including Milton Grange and Firwood House, and Julie Hart of USDAW speaking about her union's Respect for Shopworkers campaign.  Carol Mills from Unite Community spoke about some of Eastbourne's less well-known radical history. 

The marchers were pleased to be visited by local MP Stephen Lloyd at the start of the march in Hyde Gardens, and to welcome USDAW's new national President, Amy Murphy, as a guest at the rally.

The May Day march was a feature in Eastbourne's campaigning calendar for decades, and the Trades Council were thrilled to bring this tradition back last year, after a twenty year gap.

Retail and Hospitality Campaigns Successes

Usdaw has negotiated a significant pay rise for all retail staff in Tesco, taking the basic hourly rate to £8.42 over the next two years.

The deal includes improvements to maternity and new starters pay and a partial consolidation of premium pay into the hourly rate. The first stage of the pay increase will be paid from November.

Usdaw national office Pauline Foulkes said:

“Tesco’s recent difficulties are a matter of public record and the staff have played a big... part in helping turn the company around. Last year they received a one-off 5% bonus in recognition of that.

Meanwhile, Unite campaigners yesterday handed a petition to business secretary Greg Clark urging him to release the government report into tips for restaurant staff. The petition calls on the business secretary to give staff 100 per cent of their tips with complete control over how they are shared out, ban bogus "tronc" schemes and make the code of best practice mandatory.

The 2015 tipping abuse scandal sparked outrage, leading to a huge public backlash, after it emerged that restaurants, including Pizza Express, Bill’s and Strada were pocketing tips and service charge payments intended for staff. The consultation for submissions closed a year ago yet the report is nowhere to be seen. The petition will be delivered to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in Victoria Street at 1pm today.

The union has been forefront in exposing the rip-off culture that has seen restaurant bosses creaming off money left for tips that customers thought were going to cash-strapped staff.   The two-month long government consultation was launched on 2 May 2016, after an eight month review into the dubious tipping practices of some of the UK’s most popular restaurant chains, first exposed by Unite at Pizza Express in the summer of 2015.