Today's strike at Tesco supermarkets has been called off following last-minute intervention by the deputy chairman of the Labour Court, Mr Kevin Duffy. A spokesman for the company said its 77 outlets in the Republic would be trading normally but shoppers might find some fresh food products in short supply.
Up until late on Tuesday it looked as if the strike would escalate. On Monday, the company had withdrawn a pay offer to the unions, which had retaliated by escalating strike action next week to a two-day stoppage on Thursday and Friday, the busiest shopping days of the week.
Mr Duffy used the opportunity of a visit to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions conference in Bundoran to renew con tact with the unions involved, MANDATE and SIPTU, as well as Tesco management.
Following informal contacts on Tuesday he convened a court hearing in Sligo yesterday afternoon. Tesco's director of operations for the Republic, Mr Steve Leech, attended for the company and talks concluded within two hours.
MANDATE, which represents most of the 9,500 staff, has called a meeting of shop stewards at its headquarters in Dublin for Sunday afternoon to discuss the court's recommendations. These are not being issued until later today.
MANDATE's divisional officer, Ms Aileen Morrissey, said the union expected them to be "a welcome improvement" on the hourly rate contained in the offer withdrawn by Tesco last week.
That offer was to improve the starting rate from £4.85p an hour to £5.14p and the top rate from £7.12p to £7.60p. It had also agreed to abolish the lower rural rate paid at 27 outlets in provincial areas.
The unions are expected to recommend the improved offer when it emerges from the court. Ms Morrissey said it would take about three weeks to ballot members. In the meantime, all industrial action will be deferred. If the terms are rejected, the unions would be reviewing their options for further action.
Tesco's director of corporate affairs, Mr Dermot Breen, said the company was pleased to confirm a possible conclusion to the dispute because of the court's intervention.
Tesco had indicated to Mr Duffy that it would accept his recommendation and Mr Breen welcomed the unions' decision to call off further strike action while the ballot takes place.