News

Tuesday 21st July 2009 UNI Commerce Global Union released a report on the working conditions of the UK based "Fresh and Easy" which documents among other things:

·Tesco’s policy of part-time work, combined with relatively low pay, makes it impossible for employees to earn a living wage

·The strict conditions that Tesco places on qualification for pension schemes means that most Fresh and Easy employees will

never receive the company’s “match” funding

·Tesco’s health insurance scheme precludes some employees, who do not work enough hours to qualify, and is in any event

more expensive with lower benefit than schemes operated by competitor corporations

·Tesco has refused to respond positively and even to meet the USA’s largest retail union to discuss possible union organising

and recognition

·A legitimate request by employees in one store for union representation for collective bargaining was flatly rejected by Tesco’s

corporate management

· Tesco is carrying out a co-ordinated and systematic information campaign against trade union membership, organisation and recognition



Attached is a press report on the press conference held yesterday in Los Angeles.