‘WE see it as nothing but a “dirty deal” from Tesco,’ Unite shop steward Trev Cheetham said outside Tesco’s, near to Parliament, yesterday.
Over 50 Tesco distribution drivers located in Doncaster, had come to demonstrate at their treatment by the superstore.
They have been transferred from Tesco to Stobart and then given 90 days notice of termination of employment.
‘It has been done so that Tesco’s can say that it is down to Stobart what has happened, but they are not going to get away with it’, said Dave Bellamy a striking lorry driver.
The demo is part of a three-day strike, 31 October – 2nd November by the 180 Doncaster drivers who face losing their jobs just before Christmas.
Cheetham told News Line: ‘We want these jobs secured. There are young lads with 15-30 years to do, and there’s the older end who have given a lot over the years to the company, and provided the best transport service with Tesco.
‘We see it as nothing but a “dirty deal”.’
The strike is expected to cause widespread disruption to deliveries to Tesco stores across the Yorkshire and Humber region.
In August, the transport workforce at Tesco was sold to transport firm Eddie Stobart Ltd (ESL), and a month later on 5th September, Stobart issued notice of termination of employment, with no promise that the drivers will be re-employed once the 90-days are up.
Unite believes there is no need for Stobart to get rid of these drivers and says the firm does not have the capacity in its existing network to properly service the Tesco distribution centre at Doncaster.
Last week Unite accused Eddie Stobart Ltd of ‘walking away from talks that could settle the dispute.’
Stobart will recruit new drivers on worse terms and conditions to run their operation, once it has sacked the current workforce.
Tony Burke Assistant General Secretary of Unite said: ‘We fully support our members at Tesco/Stobart. Stobart have behaved in a disgraceful way. The problem is widespread, it’s outsourcing.
‘There is a systematic attempt going on throughout the UK on the use of outsourcing by large employers to get around trade union agreements and slash pay and conditions.’
Asked if he was in favour of calling out all Tesco drivers across the country to win the dispute against a major national employer, Assistant General Secretary Burke deferred the question to Unite National Officer for Road Transport, Adrian Jones. He said: ‘There will be an information campaign at selected Tesco stores nationally on Saturday.
‘With the draconian legislation against trade unions taking solidarity strike action, which both Labour and Tory government’s have left on the books over the years, we are not in a position to call a national strike.’