100 thoughts on “Tesco Want Shelf Stackers For Christmas”

  2. That’s an absolute disgrace. €200 for a months full-time work. This is not an intern position. This is taking advantage.

  3. Back in the 80′s that job used’ta be called “trainee manager”
    Paid 50 punts a week
    Going backwards and beyond …..

  6. Why is there surprise at this? We all knew employers were going to take the piss, didn’t think they would be this obvious about it though?

    FG/LAB – I’m waiting for your response to this obvious issue….

  7. Tesco should be fined for this. What is the difference between this and deliberately not paying staff the minimum wage?

    • The difference is that Tesco will not be even paying the “wages”, The tax payer will be !. these so called internships are actually taking jobs away from people and the goverment is funding it. Once again the civil service is sitting on there hands and letting this happen-ironically there should be jobs going in “jobbridge” as the people who are letting these jobs be posted should all be fired.

  8. Start spreading this all over Twitter. Contact them here: customer.services@tesco.ie and let them know it’s not good enough.

    If enough of us raise hell every time an employer blatently takes the piss with this scheme, then they’ll have to take it down.

    Fair days pay for a fair days work. Simple f**king as.

      • I haven’t shopped in Tesco as a matter of principal for a couple of years now, (although I bought 4 cans of beer there a couple of months ago as there was nowhere nearby, and felt guilty over it).

        They are a dirty bunch and will do everything in their power to kill off the local shops, boutiques, market traders. They have councillors and politicians (and as we saw in England, police) in their pay and control. You have to take a small stand as individuals and hit them where it hurts.

        Don’t shop there, tell your friends you don’t and tell them why. This is a perfect example and any regular Irish Joe would see the validity in your argument

  11. Never shopping at Tesco again. Bit further to Dunnes but f*ck them, the money-grubbing c*nts.

  13. Job Bridge is such a joke. Nothing whatsoever to do with genuine traineeships.

    Just selfish bastards trying to make a few euros extra profit off the misfortune of others. It breeds hate and division.

  14. I just sent a nice little email to Tesco telling them that I will no longer shop there and I will shop in Supervalue from now on….

    Awaiting a response (Not the auto generated one below)

    Thank you for contacting Tesco Customer Service.

    One of our team will be in touch with a personal response to your query shortly.

    Kind regards

    Tesco Customer Service Team

    • Like they give a shit.

      But fair play for sending it anyway. They still need to be told that they’re c**ts.

      • They never did get back, hopefully it’s because they are overwhelmed with negative emails….

    • Good on ya for doing that, only problem… Super Valu is at it as well – http://goo.gl/QfRiI – I especially like the “informal training” bit for a butcher! That’s a young lad/lassie that’ll have fewer fingers after 6 months “interning”.

      • I posted that one on twitter too, in fact before I posted the Tesco one. To give SuperValu their due, though, it’s only that one store in Carrick-on-Shannon (that I’m aware of) that had those ads. SuperValu are all independently owned, to the best of my knowledge. By all means, boycott Glancy’s SuperValu in Carrick-on-Shannon, but they’re not in the Ha’penny place compared to Tesco who were looking to fill 145 jobs.

  15. Fine Gael and Labour fail to surprise. Tesco is a sick, sick enterprise enyway they’ll sink a lot lower than this.

  16. That is shameful. Free labour for Tesco paid for by the few who do actually get paid to work.

    Why is JobBridge not screening abuses of the system like this?

  17. Is there no screening process for these “internships”?
    I mean, it really would take an absolute idiot to allow a profitable corporation abuse the unemployed to such an extent, and under the guise of a government backed programme!

    In the real world the minister overseeing this bullshit would at least hang their head in shame and promise to clean this abusive shit up.

    • It’s all quite deliberate of FGs part thanks to them doing what the IMF tells them.

      Has anyone ever seen the Memorandum of Agreement between the IMF and the Irish State?

  18. I don’t agree with this even remotely, but it should be observed that participants get a full social welfare payment as well as the fifty quid. And I don’t think this placement is intended for skilled workers to be fair, even if it seems a bit rich for Tesco to be getting its regular seasonal workers for practically nothing.

    • Even if you discount the crap pay (for what is probably nightwork btw) – why should the tax payer pay for Tesco to stock its shelves?
      Also you’re supposed to be learning something on an internship – if there no real skills to be learned then it’s not an internship.

    • Presumably shelf stacking is minimum wage. That equals 302.75 for 35 hours per week.

      Tesco propose to pay nothing for a minimum of 6 months!

      If they recruit 145 interns for 6 months they will save approx €1.1 million.

      And conveniently in the ru- up to Christmas, when they need extra staff.

      It is shocking.

    • The taxpayers of the country pay the extra 50 euro. Companies taking advantage of jobs bridge are robbing us.

      It is not intended for this purpose.

  19. Shameful. It would cost Tesco at least €300 a week to pay someone to do this job, instead they get a state subsidy.

  20. Hello,

    It was brought to my attention today that you (Tesco Ireland) had posted a notice on the Jobbridge scheme seeking “interns” to work in your stores stocking shelves for a period of six months. This period also happens to coincide with Tesco Ireland’s busiest time of year. In doing this Tesco Ireland was taking advantage of a scheme which was designed to help people that are unemployed gain valuable skills and experience so that they may in future seek a skilled job.

    I find it hard to believe that a company that posted a£3.8bn profit before tax for the 12-month-period ending February 2011 is unabel to pay full market value for unskilled labour. This has displayed Tesco’s complete lack of ethics in the way it does business in Ireland. I will be boycotting Tesco in futire and will give my business to a company that is respectfull of peoples hardships and does not try to take advantage to squeeze slightly more profit at the expense of the unemployed.

    Yours Sincerely,

  21. I don’t this for 4 years, but i got payed well minimum wage, even during the recessions, at most it takes 15 minutes to learn

  25. It’s a worldwide assault on workers which needs to answered with a worldwide assault on big corporates.

    Support your local economy and community.

    Say no to big international chains.

  26. Dont email Tesco. Email your TD and tell them to raise this in the Dail as this is not the first instance of companies doing this.
    I just mailed mine

  27. this is disgusting. those greedy b******s. i am appalled at this. and i’ll bet Tesco call themselves Equal Oppertunities. shame on you Tesco. a company thats raised its prices sooooo much over the last few years ive gone back to buying shit food from Aldi. i hope Tesco doesnt get away with this.

  28. As a business owner and employer I find this disgusting and reprehensible.

    There are some merits to the scheme but if this sort of exploitation is allowed the whole thing should be cancelled.

    Any business indulging in practices like this are not worthy of support and should be boycotted.

  30. Absolute Joke,

    In a previous statement from Jobbridge:

    As the scheme is voluntary there is no requirement for unemployed jobseekers to apply just as there is no obligation for host organisations to offer internships. Although the scheme may not meet all jobseekers requirements, those who wish to use it to gain valuable work experience are free to do so.

    And Joan Burton in full flow wants People to engage in back to work schemes (which this jobbridge scheme is supposed to do)

    Voluntary but Not-Voluntary!!

    • Tesco pay €200 a month for a job that would cost €1200 a month minimum otherwise.

      They avail of labour paying under the minimum wage while the taxpayer subsidises the rest.

      Go back to your Tesco HQ now lad and continue squeezing profit margins from the few Irish Suppliers you have left, Thanks.

      • Tesco Pay nowt…. the extra 50 quid a week is paid by the Social Welfare/Taxpayer….

        The Tax-payer is paying (not top dollar) for Tesco to stack their shelves….

        I’d say Mrs Heffernan over at Dunnes is loving the bad publicity for Tesco!

      • that’s what the ‘internee’ gets yes. Now why should I pay (through my taxes collected from my wages) for Tesco’s shelf stackers? they made €3.8bn last year. I went into debt.

  33. I knew it, I wish I had put money on it when I heard about Jobsbridge. Tesco know the principals of this scheme as do all others who exploit it as did Fine Gael and Labour when they thought it up. As for Tesco, I have been boycotting them for years but I have e mailed them and ask to be considered for an internship, also offered them one of my kidneys and my first born. I’m in trouble if they accept and even that would not surprise me from this bunch of leeches. Can we even get a government which is not overrun by politicians and civil servants ?

  34. We need to guard against that kind of thing happening… It’s basically using taxes and public money to subsidize corporate profits.

    Walmart does the same thing in the USA, keeping ‘part time’ employees working 29 hours a week and HR sending them to medicaid when they need health benefits, fall pregnant etc. Firing them for trying to start a union.

    Welfare programs make what they pay ‘a liveable wage’ approved by officials elected with corporate sponsorship and campaign contributions and the country runs into huge deficits while wealth concentrates at the top.

    People doing honest hard working jobs at the bottom are trapped in poverty, people in the middle bear the majority of taxes, pass it on to their kids via deficits. The top 5% get richer and richer

  37. The “Intern” project is a joke! I am trying to start a business and NEED someone to help me. I’m on the Back to Work scheme and am trying to do the work of 3 people but I don’t qualify to take an intern because (a) I’m a sole trader and (b) I don’t already employ at least one other person. If I was allowed take somebody on, I could pretty well guarantee them a GOOD full time job in 6 months time. Instead, the Government are spending money on a “Roadshow” to sell the idea … and it’s mostly “big” companies who can afford to offer full time work that benefit from this scheme. As for Tesco …. no thanks!

    • I am in the same position. I would provide a good place to work also and because I am new to running a business, any applicant working for me would learn as I learn – much more valuable experience I feel than stacking shelves in a Tesco.

      Why the hell are we subsidising large companies who can well afford to hire staff anyway?

      • To bob and michael, Internships are not free help, if you want someone to develop your business hire them, take out a loan to pay them if you can.

        I can’t see you offering your products for free so why should I give you my labour for free.

  38. Exploitation is easily covered over by the likes of Tesco and their “pratts” for hire
    But here’s something…
    Tesco intended to perpetrate a fraud.

    Internships in Tesco Ireland HQ, their Corporate HR & manpower planning dept, their Treasury dept, their supply chain and logistics, IT etc etc has some decency
    But Customer Assistant … get the phuck
    This is fraud.
    Tescúnts

  39. How does this make ANY sense? I find it quite bizarre as this will take full-time jobs from people who may have an opportunity to come off the live register and earn a full-time wage. By seemingly masquerading this low-skill high-bulk job as an internship the Government still have to pay dole, not only to those on the scheme, but those who could have taken up the full-time positions Tesco clearly need around Christmas. Jaysis.

    • Make the Live Register figures look better than they are, quite probably..

      ..and being the Government, they’ll go to some lenght to lighten it by just a few.. even if that means pissing on the rest of the workforce.

      Figures is where it’s at.. (imagines a magician with a gold plated top hat and an unskilled rabbit)

  40. The goverment dont care where people end up as long as they can doctor the numbers unemployed!!But they will come out with some statement now to,gloss over this.Keep up the good work everyone,and stop the ROT!

  41. This will make Tesco more competitive against the local little guy or local Big guy – FFS! Is there an National campaign to kill Jobbridge? I recommend that someone starts a group like Getup, in Australia.

    http://www.getup.org.au/about

    They regularly get tens of thousands of signatures for petitions, donations to run targeted ads on TV, mobilise people for rallies.

    Surely, Ireland can do the same. Ireland needs it a lot more!

    • The problem here is that it is illegal to run political advertisements on radio and television in Ireland. an anti-jobbridge advertising campaign would be nuked from orbit by the Broadcasting Authority.

      Nothing to stop an online or newspaper campaign though

  42. I will never shop in tescos again. The same goes for any shyster company that abuses this facility. They’re going on the same list as any company that advertises Christmas stuff before December.

  43. This just highlights how futile the JobBridge scheme is, in a capitalism ecosystem creating unpaid jobs will just undermine paid employment and make business more profitable.

  44. James Connolly must be turning in his grave at the knowledge that the party he founded is forcing people to work as virtual slaves for a class enemy, a modern day William Martin Murphy.
    The Labour Party has disgraced itself yet again in it’s quest to stay in power at all costs.
    I suppose that this will be paid for by some of the proceeds of the sale of the ESB and other state companies and so boost even further the profits of a scabby outfit like TESCO.

  47. Ah, Tesco trying to find yet another way around the Union imposed ban on recruitment, Staff have contracted hours i.e 20 to 25, while any staff member is forced to the bottom of their band or the next band down recruitment of staff is banned until all staff are on the top of their bands, The internships are a way around this and the idiots who don’t realise they are screwing themselves will happily train and work alongside these interns not realising they are harming their own earning potential and that of every other person in the company and if its not too much of a stretch on the dole queue too, Tesco doesn’t work on the basis of cost effectiveness, it works on the basis of lowest cost possible

  48. I couldn’t give a shit about the workers. That’s their problem.
    The fact that the state are subsidising Tesco by essentially giving them a tax break is a travesty. Where is the gain for Ireland Inc?

  49. Regardless of what Tesco tried to do here, what are the Jobbridge moderators doing?

    How did those jobs even get approval to be posted?

  50. Stay on the Dole and get free money for nothing or work a 35 hour week to get an extra €50 per week as well as getting the social welfare check?? Anyone who’d choose to work a 35 hour week for €50 is nuts!!

    It’d be much better if the job followed into a full time position, but this just doesn’t make sense.

  51. tesco’s response to my email

    “Dear Louis

    Thank you for your email.
    Firstly, I’d like to apologise for the delay in getting back to you. Please let me assure you that we always try to respond to our customers’ queries in a timely manner and I’m sorry that due to high volumes of contact, this has not happened on this occasion.

    We are supporters of the Government’s Job Bridge Programme and we want to help get people back to work. Candidates who apply to Tesco will have the opportunity to develop their employment prospects in our stores and in our head office.

    These internships are not designed to fill any job gaps in our workforce. Instead, candidates will experience every aspect of work in a fast moving modern and innovative retail environment. This will include customer service, merchandising and vital back office support roles. Candidates will also be offered the opportunity to apply for any new permanent positions should they arise.

    As Ireland’s leading retailer we provide fulfilling jobs and great careers to over 14,000 people in Ireland. We encourage our staff members to build their careers with us and have many development programmes tailored to suit all facets of work across the business.

    Earlier this year we announced 522 new jobs as part of our €120 million investment programme in new stores.

    Thank you for your time.

    Kind Regards

    Fiona Lockett
    Tesco Ireland Customer Service”

  52. I got a slightly different response:
    (No mention of an apology for the delay)

    Dear John

    Thank you for your email.

    We are supporters of the Government’s Job Bridge Programme and we want to help get people back to work. Candidates who apply to Tesco will have the opportunity to develop their employment prospects in our stores and in our head office.

    These internships are not designed to fill any job gaps in our workforce. Instead, candidates will experience every aspect of work in a fast moving modern and innovative retail environment. This will include customer service, merchandising and vital back office support roles. Candidates will also be offered the opportunity to apply for any new permanent positions should they arise.

    As Ireland’s leading retailer we provide fulfilling jobs and great careers to over 14,000 people in Ireland. We encourage our staff members to build their careers with us and have many development programmes tailored to suit all facets of work across the business.

    Earlier this year we announced 522 new jobs as part of our €120 million investment programme in new stores.

    Thank you for your time.

    Kind Regards

    Fiona Lockett
    Tesco Ireland Customer Service

    ……………… Original Message ………………

    To: customer.services@tesco.ie

    Received: 16/09/2011

    Subject: Tesco have lost a customer.

    After reading the latest entry for a Tesco “Internship” on Jobs Bridge Ref.
    INTE-635596, I have decided to inform Tesco that I will be a customer no
    longer.

    I will walk to Supervalue from now on, a store that employs Full time staff
    and not underpaid and vulnerable young people.

    After all the scandals involving Tesco price fixing, massive profits and now
    this, I feel you should know my friends and family will all be informed
    about the lack of respect that your company is showing to the youth of this
    country.

    I am confident that they will follow suit.

    Regards

    John

    • Didn’t somebody mention that Supervalue were trying to pull the same scam?
      Trapper on September 16, 2011 at 3:56 pm said:
      Good on ya for doing that, only problem… Super Valu is at it as well – http://goo.gl/QfRiI