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Arena Magazine 2005 Issue 2 |
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National forum sets the agenda
Usdaw has more than 102,000 retail members in Tesco who are looked after by a dedicated team of around 2,500 reps in stores across the UK. As part of the union’s partnership agreement with Tesco some store reps go on to the regional forums and then 48 of these represent members at the national forum, which met up recently at the union’s national training centre in Warrington, Arena dropped in.
Looking after more than 102,000 members is a mammoth task but the structures in place at Tesco allow important information to travel up and down the communications chain providing a constant stream from and to the members.
"The local, regional and national forums certainly open up the avenue for dialogue for all Tesco employees," said Maureen Williams, who works at the Quedgeley store in Gloucester.
"By the time we get to the national stage we've got a variety of relevant subjects for discussion. I sit on the group looking at flexible working and I meet up with other members on a regular basis to discuss the issue."
"Working together has to be the way forward," added Fergus Hickling, a night shift worker at the Amersham store in Buckinghamshire. "That's the only way we'll make changes for the better. Staff are now getting used to how the new structures within the agreement actually work. Progress is being made."
"It helps that staff are kept up-to-date with what's happening," said Yvonne Mathieson from the Clifton store in Blackpool. "National officer Pauline Foulkes is very aware of the need for the information to get back to every employee."
Noreen Cahoon who works at the Carrickfergus store in Northern Ireland could not agree more. "Keeping the channels of communication open right from store level all the way up to the national forum helps to keep members in the loop, which is exactly what they want."
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