Tesco trade unions form a global alliance

At its meeting in Nyon, Switzerland yesterday, UNI Commerce Global Union decided to establish a world-wide Tesco Alliance. The Alliance will network affiliated commerce unions in all countries where the company is present, to ensure that fundamental workers' and trade union rights are fully respected by management, and to promote a constructive social dialogue and collective agreements.
In Thailand, Tesco's labour relations performance has not been up to the standards that one would expect from the leading British multinational. The small commerce union formed by the Tesco Lotus workers has experienced a rough treatment by local management, which has lead UNI to raise the problems in direct discussions with the group. The employment conditions that huge multinational retailers offer in developing or newly industrialised countries are of major concern for UNI Commerce. More often than not they are in stark contrast with the huge profits that Tesco and others can report on year after year.