From Times Online
June 25, 2008
By Steve Hawkes
Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential hopeful, is urging Sir Terry
Leahy, Tesco's chief executive, to engage with trade unions in the US
over workers rights at the supermarket giant’s Fresh & Easy chain.
In an unprecedented call, the US presidential candidate has called on
Sir Terry to “reconsider” Tesco's policy of non-engagement with the
unions, just two days before the supermarket giant's annual general
meeting with shareholders.
In the letter, seen by The Times, the Democratic party candidate says:
“It is in your interest to ensure that the communities and the leaders
of workers in the industry are heard and that their concerns are heard.
“I am aware of Tesco’s reputation in Britain as a partner of
unions. I would hope that you would bring those values to your work in
America.
“Ensuring that workers are able to exercise their right to organise
and work in safe environments were an important element of my campaign
for the Democratic nomination as they will be in my campaign for the
Presidency.”
“I urge you to reconsider your policy of non-engagement in the United
States and advise your executives at Fresh & Easy to meet with the UFCW
(the United Food & Commercial Workers Union) and other community groups
at the earliest opportunity.”
The letter is the second that Mr Obama has sent to Tesco, after writing
to Tim Mason, Fresh & Easy boss and the supermarket chain's US
president, pressing him to work with local community leaders to strike a
so-called community-benefits agreement - a written pledge of promises
about the rewards its opening would bring to local areas.
Mr Obama's latest intervention comes three weeks after the UFCW said it
would be seeking the support of the presidential hopeful after trying in
vain to force a meeting with Tesco over the past two years.
It is furious that Tesco refuses to recognise the union at Fresh &
Easy.
Emily Stewart, UFCW campaign director, argues that the union only wants
the same “constructive relationship” that Tesco has with Usdaw, the
shop workers’ union, in the UK.
The UFCW launched a ‘Two Faces of Tesco’ campaign to highlights its
greviances, and has been backed by Jon Cruddas, the Labour MP who stood
for the deputy leadership of the party two years ago.
He said Tesco’s stance was undermining the reputation of British
companies around the world.
Earlier this month, Tesco said: "The UFCW do not reflect the views of
Fresh & Easy staff who are overwhelmingly in favour of the pay and
benefits they receive."
