Dear Editor, I refer to the article in the Irish Independent (11th February) with regards to workers in the Tesco Distribution Centre at Donabate, Co. Dublin being required to wear arm band monitors. The article suggested that SIPTU had agreed with the company with regard to the use of this equipment to monitor staff. This article was extremely misleading and factually incorrect. While SIPTU has a collective agreement with Tesco which covers our members working in this plant. There is no agreement with this system for the purpose of monitoring performance.
Furthermore, SIPTU is in dispute with Tesco regarding its attempt to unilaterally implement an increase in the Performance Level to 100 PI in the plant which currently stands at 84 PI. The PI measures the rate at which an employee picks an item from the warehouse.
The system referred to is specifically a means to send messages to staff working around the plant due to its extensive size.
Any attempt to use this device for the purpose intimated in the article would not be tolerated and would result in a refusal to wear such an apparatus.
SIPTU has been instrumental in pointing out flaws in the system that is currently in operation and we have highlighted our members' concerns with the company management.
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