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The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance was launched in Nyon, Switzerland on 18 June 2008 by trade unions representing Tesco workers in twelve countries around the world.

Tesco has rapidly expanded its global reach and is now active in the following countries: UK, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Ireland, Slovakia, Turkey, China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, US.

UNI has affiliates that organise and represent workers in the commerce sector in all the above countries. The only exception is China where we have relations with the commercial workers union.

The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance aims to develop constructive labour relations with the company and to become a recognised and constructive social partner with Tesco to promote the wellbeing of the company’s workforce.

The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance will seek to grow unions in Tesco and to give Tesco workers everywhere a union voice concerning their employment and working conditions. The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance will support the development of union representation and for those unions to build a positive social dialogue and negotiate collective agreements with Tesco in every country where they are present.

Noting Tesco’s declared corporate principles of human resource management and labour relations the UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance recognises that they provide a good basis to build a partnership.

As Tesco expands into new markets around the world UNI will work to introduce our affiliates to local Tesco management with the aim to build long term harmonious relations.

The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance is concerned at the company’s unwillingness to enter into a dialogue with the UNI Commerce affiliate UFCW, in the United States.

The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance calls upon Tesco to begin such a dialogue, confident that such a dialogue would benefit both the company and its workers in the USA.

The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance is also concerned regarding trade union recognition in a number of countries, and requests the company to ensure that local management respects the overall Tesco corporate social responsibility principles.

The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance is prepared to enter into a constructive dialogue with Tesco, to find mutually beneficial solutions to promote the business success of the company along with the interests of its workers. The long term aim will be to develop a global dialogue between Tesco and the UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance.

The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance stresses the importance of opening up negotiations to establish a European Works Council and recognises the important role that USDAW will play with UNI to ensure the introduction of a well functioning EWC.

The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance reiterates its commitment to build positive and constructive relations with Tesco.