Tesco Ballybrack Strike

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XMarks

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On Tuesday I needed a pharmacy amongst other things so decided to go to the shopping centre on Church View Road (Tesco Ballybrack).

There are two entrances to the shopping centre and both were heavily picketed by Tesco employees.

As I drove in two people on the picket line shouted abuse at me. I had my two young children in the back of the car. I went to the newsagent and pharmacy then left. The place was deserted.

Apparently it was discussed on a radio show yesterday with a woman talking about similar intimidating behaviour. The other traders (mainly sole traders) said their takings are virtually zero.

I can understand the Tesco employees picketing the entrance to the actual Tesco store but how are they allowed block the entrances to the shopping centre? I doubt Mandate will be compensating the other stores for their negative trade to date.
 
You should write an open letter to newspapers documenting this incidence, and say you'll never return to the Tesco store, and if Tesco shut it down and sack them, the employees should recall their conduct on the picket line and have only themselves to blame.
 
I drove through the picket line myself late on Tuesday night. I didn't notice any abuse from the picketers but there were a load of local kids with them who started blocking my car when I left, then hitting it and shouting at me.
 
Not excusing the conduct of the two picketers, but the reason they can't picket at the Tesco doors is typically because they aren't allowed to do so inside a multi-unit outlet so they have to go out to the main doors. The unions have apologised to their trading neighbours for the disruption.
 
rob oyle said:
Not excusing the conduct of the two picketers, but the reason they can't picket at the Tesco doors is typically because they aren't allowed to do so inside a multi-unit outlet so they have to go out to the main doors. The unions have apologised to their trading neighbours for the disruption.
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Being outside the door of Ballybrack Tesco isn't being inside a multi-unit outlet. Its not say Tesco at Jervis. All doors to other units are outside like strip mall in the States.
 
And yet on the Joe show yesterday the majority of the small traders so badly effected supported the striking workers & placed the blame on Tesco as their landlord for causing the problem by not allowing the picketers into the centres to picket solely outside the Tesco stores .

It was pointed out that the problem was exacerbated by the fact that most people , to their credit , will not pass pickets hence these centres are practically deserted.

Nobody should be abused by picketers but I do think that Tesco themselves have caused much of this problem .
 
I didn't realise the entire centre was Tesco owned but I still feel very sorry for the other tenants whose trade is being severely affected. It is not right. They have no dog in this fight.
 
I would not cross a picket.

But what about Tesco’s that don’t have pickets on them, I thought it was ok to shop in them, my experience this morning suggests otherwise.

If my local Tesco does not have a picket on it, then I assume staff in that store are not affected.

Deli counter assistant just looked at me, I said Hi, could I have…………… no response, I was given what I asked for, I said thanks, again no response and she walked away.

Same at the checkout, I said Hi, no response, my shopping was scanned, I paid, said thanks, no response, not a single word was said by either of the normally friendly assistants.
 
Same at Tesco Roselawn. Two entrances both picketed. I was going to get my hair done. People hammering on car roofs. My dad got stopped going into the pub. BTW the owner of the pub is the father of Damian o reilly who is covering on rte radio 1 at the moment. Says takings way down.
 
amtc said:
People hammering on car roofs
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This makes my blood boil. How DARE they. This is criminal damage. You weren't going into Tesco and even if you were, that's your absolute right. What happened to peaceful respectful protest?!

Deiseblue said:
most people , to their credit , will not pass pickets
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This makes no sense to me. It assumes that all industrial disputes are worthy and the "Big Boss" is exploiting the "Little Guy". Nonsense. Some disputes are valid and have merit based on the issues. Some are unreasonable - personally I found the Luas strikers to have unreasonable cause to strike. You're not entitled to have everyone weigh in behind you just because.

Last time I looked it was a free country and anyone verbally abuses me or bangs on my car for going about my business based on my rational assessment of the issues will have the guards called by me over it. (If they'd get involved - they generally don't which is another disgrace.)

BTW I've no particular position on this strike. Just the manner in which the picketers are behaving.
 
Speaking as a trade-unionist:-

1. I don't condone any kind of intimidation from any strikers.
2. Members of the public should be free to come and go as they wish.
3. The Tesco strikers are looking at their own members passing the official picket. Remember when the strike ends, as it surely must, they will have to work with those too. Furthermore, the other shops on the complexes will want Tesco staff as customers too.
4. Those on strike are without wages (voluntarily, I know) which is a factor too.
5. Tesco is not blameless either.

I feel sorry for the other traders as they are the main victims in all of this. People spend years building up their trade only to see it die mainly because of Tesco.

I reckon the Tesco strikers can tell some stories too i.e. about they themselves being intimidated etc not only by Tesco but also by some members of the public.
 
Deiseblue said:
It was pointed out that the problem was exacerbated by the fact that most people , to their credit , will not pass pickets hence these centres are practically deserted.
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The problem is that small business owners are frightened to cross the Union. The "Big Guy" in that equation is the Union, not the small business and there is no protection if you are targeted by a Union.

Deiseblue said:
Nobody should be abused by picketers but I do think that Tesco themselves have caused much of this problem .
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Yes, Unions can bully and intimidate and it will always be someone else's fault.

twofor1 said:
I would not cross a picket.
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I would. In some cases I'd go out of my way to cross one. The LUAS strike was a good example of one I'd happily cross.
 
XMarks said:
I didn't realise the entire centre was Tesco owned but I still feel very sorry for the other tenants whose trade is being severely affected. It is not right. They have no dog in this fight.
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That's solidarity, Brother. That means they can disrupt your life and threaten the livelihood of the employees of the small businesses as much as they like and you just have to suck it up.
 
Purple said:
That's solidarity, Brother. That means they can disrupt your life and threaten the livelihood of the employees of the small businesses as much as they like and you just have to suck it up.
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Yep, all downside with no potential upside!

The funniest part of all this is Mandate coming out telling everyone to shop in Tesco's competitors, none of whom recognise unions across all their stores like Tesco do.
 
Leo said:
Yep, all downside with no potential upside!

The funniest part of all this is Mandate coming out telling everyone to shop in Tesco's competitors, none of whom recognise unions across all their stores like Tesco do.
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Yep, they want them to shop in Dunnes with their zero hour contracts.
 
I wonder if the people shouting abuse were Tesco employees or members of the socialist left-wing against everything groupings who got involved in water protests and were also reported to be "supporting" striking teachers on the picket line.
 
thedaddyman said:
I wonder if the people shouting abuse were Tesco employees or members of the socialist left-wing against everything groupings who got involved in water protests and were also reported to be "supporting" striking teachers on the picket line.
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Many of the "socialist left-wing against everything groupings" are what Lenin described as "useful idiots". They are rightly angry about how the country is run but have foolishly bought in to the Paul Murphy/ PBP/ AAA rhetoric which would impoverish all of us. That's socialism for you.
 
Tesco revenue at strike stores down by up to 80%.
That'll focus Management alright!
 
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