Union anger at Tesco's treatment of workers

Published on Friday 3 July 2009 22:20

THE UK's biggest trade union challenged Tesco at its annual meeting yesterday over the treatment of workers employed in firms supplying meat to it.

Unite said the 11.21 per cent of shareholders backing its resolution was more than twice as many as it had expected.

The motion, tabled at Tesco's AGM in Glasgow, called for an end to "discrimination and abuse" of workers.

Unite's deputy general secretary, Jack Dromey, said: "An unmistakable message has been sent to the board. Tesco must hear the voice of workers in the meat industry and a growing number of its own shareholders."

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is investigating the UK's multibillion-pound meat industry in England and Wales for evidence of abuse against workers.

A Tesco spokesman said: "Unite should not be making unfounded allegations or suggesting that Tes-co has walked away from cross-industry endeavour.

The right place to raise concerns is the ongoing inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, with which Tesco is already co-operating."