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USDAW / Tesco collective bargaining agreement

Started by radaghastly, 24-06-22, 12:35AM

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radaghastly

I am  sick of our contract & working conditions constantly being degraded. There is a huge amount of bad feeling on the shop floor over the new contracts that have been approved on our behalf by USDAW.

The collective bargaining agreement allows USDAW to legally do this. At this point it seems they will green-light whatever Tesco asks of them. It is becoming apparent, that they are no longer representing the best interests of the Tesco workers who are paying them.

I mentioned my discontent in the "New contract concerns" post - but felt that to comment further there, might be considered hijacking the thread - so I have started this one to keep thing on-point.

FarmerFred pointed me towards the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). They oversee these bargaining agreements, however, USDAW are an independent union and do not fall under the jurisdiction of the CAC. Furthermore they only cover agreements made after 2001 - I believe the partnership agreement began in 1998.

I have carried out a questionnaire survey of staff in my own (extra) store, to gauge how people felt. I asked the questions as neutrally as possible & included "no opinion" as one of the answers - in order to assess what levels of apathy there might be. I got a good sampling from every department & shift.

Survey Results: (1 clipboard still to be returned - I will update figures when I have it)

Q1  Are you an USDAW member?

Yes:        56.86%
No:         43.14%


Q2  Do you approve of the new contract that has been agreed on your behalf by USDAW?

Yes:         1.96%
No:         82.35%   
No opinion: 15.69%


Q3  The collective bargaining agreement between Tesco & USDAW allows changes to your contract & working conditions to be made without your consent. Would you like to end this arrangement?

Yes:         90.20%   
No:           3.92%   
No opinion:   5.88%


These results show just how strongly staff feel. The new contract is deeply unpopular. If there is ever a time to end the Tesco / USDAW alliance, it is now.

My question to you guys is how can we move forward with this?
Suggestions would be welcome.

Totot

Q2 and Q3 will be invalidated as long as the answer of Q1 still high enough. Make a yes answer on Q1 less than 10%, that would be incline with the result of Q2 and Q3, and force usdaw to change their strategy.

Since membership is not mandatory or required to work in tesco, not a primary need, and possibly affect almost nothing to your daily work in tesco.
We want union to make better agreement with tesco, so why not we start make a better agreement with union and give them an offer by stop paying membership.
Don't let the " culture" think for you, but think for ourself, first start with a word why?


radaghastly

I was actually shocked by the result of Q1. I quit the union when they agreed to reducing our Saturday rate. I thought the figure would be much lower than it actually is. I knew Q2 & Q3 would be high, but was a bit surprised just how high it ended up.

I guess with USDAW being the only union allowed in the door, people have little choice - if they want representation in disciplinary meetings etc, they either pay their subs or they are on their own.

Redshoes

For a union to have power it needs a high membership. I'm not surprised by the results but the wording of the questions could be seen as provocative. I'm not disagreeing but leading questions would result in a questionable survey.
How many people are willing and active forum members. Bringing things forward to the forum to go up the line is a long winded way of putting issues across but it is a way to raise issues. The forum is not about issues to be resolved in store, it can help with them though. The forum is about terms and conditions that can't be resolved in store. It takes ages as it has to go on and up the line but this latest change will have been a long time in the planning. The changes that are coming have been mentioned for years. It should be no big surprise to anybody. Changes are often never liked but the impact to the majority will be minimal. We all have the whole store to deliver. If PFS is closed the colleagues can work in store. No surprise they are not going to be paid to do nothing. If the grocery delivery turned up so late it's not worth doing a gap scan next morning and would make more sense to do an all hands fill. A huge influx of customers turn up at the tills we again do all hands to get them through as soon as possible. Fresh delivery is late but then when it turn up it's huge, again nothing wrong in all hands. A huge batch of SELs come down, we should support. No one single area of the store is more important than another. It takes a team. We are a business and having people who will only do one small part of the production is no longer viable.

Sherwoodforest

Its all the nature of the beast,retail is different now,us older generation know,xmas shopping was a military operation,write a list,go into town and hit the shops,now you can sit at home and get it delivered to your door,tesco is no different,as more shop online checkouts will reduce more and more,so serve pick and fill is actually a step forward,and the end of the day,its about the customer,if a checkout staff cant put a few things on the shelf or shop floor staff cant scan a few items through a till,then why are you even working in retail,
Tesco Finest Karma,best served bent over💩

King1999

About the customer,you do have to treat your staff like your customers that's why things are so bad.They can't even keep shelves filled anymore they would sooner have someone do home shopping get in your way not acknowledge you exsist and offer you fresh air on the shelf.The customer is the last thing on this companies mind now.Profit for shareholders and their bonuses is all they care about.One team no I seriously don't think so.

General Thorn

I was told by an area rep that a union is stronger with more members It's a slippery slope with USDAW because the more in bed they are with Tesco, the fewer members they will have.
Plus if we want one person, one vote, that needs to be brought up in the store forum and also wage negotiations are meant to be brought up then. All news to me, who used to be a forum rep but gave up when everything was about Tesco and what they were wanting.

lackofinterest

Quote from: King1999 on 24-06-22, 02:01PMAbout the customer,you do have to treat your staff like your customers that's why things are so bad.They can't even keep shelves filled anymore they would sooner have someone do home shopping get in your way not acknowledge you exsist and offer you fresh air on the shelf.The customer is the last thing on this companies mind now.Profit for shareholders and their bonuses is all they care about.One team no I seriously don't think so.
spot on mate :thumbup:  :thumbup:  :thumbup:

radaghastly

Previous major changes to our contract have been for new starters only. This is because a contract comes with certain legal obligations that both parties have to adhere to.

Tesco is using the USDAW to bludgeon our rights & we are paying the union to do it!

What good is the partnership agreement at this point?

Collective bargaining power for pay rises? We are currently on 5p above minimum wage, putting us below Lidl, Aldi, Morrisons & Asda.

While the upcoming pay deal may look good on paper - it is actually less than the inflation rate is projected to be. Come next April, we will have a new minimum wage & Tesco workers will be even closer to it. Yet they are using this pay rise as justification to re-write our contracts.

As for the forum - we have raised many issues over the years & nothing has ever been resolved from it. In my branch at least, it is utterly ineffective. I don't believe that would be useful route for me follow, given my own experience of it.

fscer

Was informed the other day their isn't technically a partnership agreement that says we can't strike.

radaghastly

Only the union can strike lawfully. Any independent action is taken as breach of contract & grounds for dismissal. 

grim up north

Distribution offered 9.5% pay rise but lose turnaround bonus

Sherwoodforest

Whats turnaround bonus work out like ?
Tesco Finest Karma,best served bent over💩

BritishRacingGreen

Quote from: Sherwoodforest on 24-06-22, 12:00PMIts all the nature of the beast,retail is different now,us older generation know,xmas shopping was a military operation,write a list,go into town and hit the shops,now you can sit at home and get it delivered to your door,tesco is no different,as more shop online checkouts will reduce more and more,so serve pick and fill is actually a step forward,and the end of the day,its about the customer,if a checkout staff cant put a few things on the shelf or shop floor staff cant scan a few items through a till,then why are you even working in retail,

Nailed it right there Sherwoodforest.

penguin

QuoteThese results show just how strongly staff feel. The new contract is deeply unpopular. If there is ever a time to end the Tesco / USDAW alliance, it is now.

The real issue at least in my opinion is the so called partnership between Tesco and Usdaw, that in my own opinion is very one sided and in effect turns the union into a nodding dog that will do whatever Tesco wish.

When I was a USDAW member while working for Tesco I often asked the question what is the process if any to end the partnership or at the very least put the matter to a vote or suchlike, nobody ever seemed to know or if they did were not willing to furnish the information.
Do not let anyone tell you there is not a decent job and life beyond Tesco.

grim up north


redeo

Quote from: Redshoes on 24-06-22, 11:00AMFor a union to have power it needs a high membership. I'm not surprised by the results but the wording of the questions could be seen as provocative. I'm not disagreeing but leading questions would result in a questionable survey.
How many people are willing and active forum members. Bringing things forward to the forum to go up the line is a long winded way of putting issues across but it is a way to raise issues. The forum is not about issues to be resolved in store, it can help with them though. The forum is about terms and conditions that can't be resolved in store. It takes ages as it has to go on and up the line but this latest change will have been a long time in the planning. The changes that are coming have been mentioned for years. It should be no big surprise to anybody. Changes are often never liked but the impact to the majority will be minimal. We all have the whole store to deliver. If PFS is closed the colleagues can work in store. No surprise they are not going to be paid to do nothing. If the grocery delivery turned up so late it's not worth doing a gap scan next morning and would make more sense to do an all hands fill. A huge influx of customers turn up at the tills we again do all hands to get them through as soon as possible. Fresh delivery is late but then when it turn up it's huge, again nothing wrong in all hands. A huge batch of SELs come down, we should support. No one single area of the store is more important than another. It takes a team. We are a business and having people who will only do one small part of the production is no longer viable.

The problem I have is how managers are already treating it before it even comes into force. I been busy all day on customer services, no tidying up done, an now they demand one of us go an tidy the shelves just because it quiet on customer service. He tried to mention whole it the new contract and say I had to go, I said not until October an he walked off in a hump.

An the same manager never send his staff over to help us out at customer services or tills even through 2 of them are trained for tills, he always tell not to go when called.

sensible_woman

Is there any good reason why we can't go on strike? If people all over the country are feeling so unhappy with pay/working conditions could it be an option?

Jackwarda

This is a wild stab in the dark; But we cant go on strike, as the 1] UNION would not allow or partake of it. and most importantly 2]  The staff or majority wouldn't dare or attempt to do it!

lackofinterest

the majority of the workforce is now students or youngsters living at home. they would never strike because most of them are happy with their low hour contracts as long as they are getting a few quid for their beer and nandos,etc

sensible_woman

That's interesting as the majority of our workforce are longtimers.Perhaps that's why I saw it as maybe an option

radaghastly

In the extra store in the survey, it is about 50/50 old timers to new starters. Although a lot of old timers have plans to leave within a handful of years. The constantly increasing demands placed upon us is becoming draining. So I guess it is in transition.

T2019sackallmanagers

You can all strike without the unions say so and get paid! Just go on long term sick! This hits the company harder than any strike can.

tescopleb

in my opinion the best thing to do would be to get the Partnership Agreement withdrawn and force Useless to act like a proper union - they would then be answerable directly to us rather than taking our money for nothing and hiding behind the agreement. Ever wondered why Useless don't ballot us or even communicate directly? well you can thank the Partnership Agreement for that and the Forum. Everybody forgets exactly why we have the Forum, it was sold to the members as the way forward when in reality we just castrated ourselves at Useless's behest.
 

century99

Quote from: radaghastly on 25-06-22, 08:47PMIn the extra store in the survey, it is about 50/50 old timers to new starters. Although a lot of old timers have plans to leave within a handful of years. The constantly increasing demands placed upon us is becoming draining. So I guess it is in transition.

Its like this at the store I work at, many of the old timers are marking time to retirement or actively looking for other jobs. One lady I worked with had done 20 years and still got a job elsewhere (tight gits refused to give her a 20 yr award as she handed her notice in just after she had reached the date). to be honest I have found its not the pick, fill and till putting staff off its the constant low staffing levels and stress trying to get the work done each shift, the constant will you do overtime and the fact they are saying you could be asked to do your contract hours on different days/times. Other staff like me still on flexi contracts are sick of working full time hours but only have low contracts of 7.5 hr or if you are lucky 16 hrs.I work on the desk and we are short anyway and all but 2 part timers and 1 retiree (leaves in 3 months time) are actively looking for jobs elsewhere.

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