Tag Archives: MANDATE

AN Ennis security worker who faces losing his job in the coming weeks as part of plans by Tesco to outsource nearly 100 security jobs says they are being treated “like yesterday’s rubbish”. Fredrik Osterberg has been working security in the Ennis branch of Tesco for over 16 years. Last week Tesco security workers were called into meetings and told their jobs were being outsourced with three options: severance payment; redeployment to other positions in their store, if available; or a transfer to OCS security services. Employees were told they had until March 1 to make a decision. The move has been condemned by Mandate Trade Union and SIPTU. Fredrik, a father of two young children, tells us, “We have done everything that the company has asked of us, we have always been loyal but it has just not been shown back to us. “I have had knives pulled on me, I’ve had a hatchet pulled on me. I’ve been …

Former Clare TD James Breen has thrown down the gauntlet to Fianna Fail leader, Michael Martin to put the people before power and get a new government in situ. “It’s time for the talking to stop and to get a deal done. We need political stability and a new government, not a caretaker one running the country. We need to get the country back on its feet and our workforce back to work. We need Michael Martin to put people before power,” he declared. Mr Breen, who resigned from the Fianna Fail party and was elected an Independent TD in the 29th Dail from 2002 to 2207, said that it seems national interest has gone out the window given the protracted nature of discussions between Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, The Green Party and now the independents. “At the Clare election count I spoke a lot about national interest. Now, 300 days on from that election it appears national interest has …

THE 147th annual INTO Congress, held in Ennis last week, had a “positive” outcome for the town’s retail and hospitality sectors, with practically every bed in the town full to accommodate the 850 delegates, their guests and family members for the three-day event. Boutique and clothing retailers in the town, who had enticing offers, reported that the primary school teachers kept their tills ticking over an²²d hotel and guesthouses were full, while cafés and restaurants benefited from the large number of visitors soaking up the spring sunshine and strolling along the medieval lanes and streets. Ennis Chamber interim CEO, Alec Fleming reported that his members were happy with the business generated during the teachers’ conference and described the feedback he had received from chamber members as positive. “The feedback from the INTO delegates and officials was very good. The weather was also exceptional and there were definitely people in shopping in Ennis. Practically all the beds in town were taken …

IMPACT has written to the directors of Dunnes Stores outlining the union’s support for Thursday’s strike by workers at the retail chain, which has stores in Ennis and Shannon. In the letter to the directors of Dunnes Stores, IMPACT general secretary, Shay Cody said that the union, representing 60,000 workers nationwide, had pledged its full support for the strike, organised by Mandate, which takes place tomorrow. Mr Cody said that IMPACT has asked members throughout its branch network to show solidarity with striking Dunnes Stores workers in practical ways. “IMPACT is therefore encouraging all its members, their friends, families and communities not to cross the picket lines on Thursday, and not to shop at any of the store,” he said. Mr Cody said that achieving decent contracts for staff, which is at the core of the dispute, could only be achieved through dialogue.