File photo of a Tesco Express in Dublin Image: Shutterstock/Robson90 File photo of a Tesco Express in Dublin Image: Shutterstock/Robson90 SECURITY STAFF WORKING with Tesco have been given an extra week to choose between a severance package and transferring to another company as negotiations continue between trade union officials, Tesco and OCS security services.
The workers in question were called into meetings on 8 February and presented with three options – a severance payment; redeployment to other positions in their store, if available; or a transfer to OCS security services. At the meeting tomorrow, Mandate officials will “seek assurances regarding the safeguarding of our members terms and conditions of employment, as a result of the company’s announcement”, a spokesperson told The Journal.
“As security has become more specialised and challenging in recent years, we are extending our relationship with OCS to provide all our security needs,” they added. The Tesco spokesperson said the remaining security workers, who are spread across 68 stores and shopping centres, “will transfer to OCS where they will receive specialist training, further development, and security career opportunities”.
The spokesperson added that staff members who transfer to OCS “will be provided with a compensation payment to account for Tesco specific benefits that cannot transfer” such as Tesco staff discounts.One security guard who has worked with Tesco for almost 20 years, since he was a teenager, said the sudden nature of recent events makes him and other security guards feel “abandoned” and “disposable” by the company.