All 76 Tesco supermarkets in the State tonight face
closure again next week because of a pay strike bytheir 9,500 workers.
The stores were closed today following a breakdown oftalks aimed at ending the dispute, estimated to havecost the company around IR£4 million.
Today’s action was the first in a series of actionsplanned by the trade union Mandate - a second one-daystrike will go ahead next Thursday if settlementis not reached in the interim.
The management tonight repeated claims that the strikeswere unnecessary because a pay rise offer of up to 4per cent had been made on top of 7.5 per cent fixed bythe PPF.
But Mandate said the company had failed to tableadequate proposals.
Dunnes Stores, one of Tesco's main rivals in the retailsector, are said to be planning to extend their openinghours to meet anticipated extra demand.
PA