Labour Court recommends talks on Tesco Christmas Sunday overtime

The Labour Court recommended that Tesco Ireland Limited and Mandate Trade Union discuss a fairer way to allocate Christmas Sunday overtime to Five Workers on pre-1996 contracts. The recommendation was dated 10 May 2019. The union said a 1996 agreement and a 2005 recommendation supported the workers’ established pattern of working one Sunday in a December with three Sundays, and two in a December with four. Tesco said less Christmas Sunday overtime was available and staff rostered for Sunday work throughout the year were given priority. The Court said Tesco could not be required to provide overtime that commercial needs did not justify. But where overtime was warranted, its allocation should be fair and equitable. The Five Workers were left off initial rosters unless the company could not meet its needs with staff normally scheduled for Sunday work. The Court said the parties should seek a mutually acceptable way to include them in Christmas Sunday rosters.