It says a lot about Linda Redmond’s character that, even though today is the day she leaves a job that she has known for the last 29 years today, she can still laugh.
Also handing in his Tesco badge today is Ciaran Lang, who’s been working at this supermarket for over 25 years. Back when it was Quinnsworth.
Which feels like a lifetime ago. And for both Linda and Ciaran, working in this same spot for decades meant it was very much part of their lives.
Having been first announced in August 2015, Tesco Ireland have introduced voluntary redundancies for staff on ‘historic terms and conditions’. Anyone who had worked for Tesco Ireland pre-1996 had to sign a new contract which came with new hours (to be determined by their employer) and a reduction in wages. In some cases, that reduction was as much as €3 less an hour. If that didn’t suit, there was that voluntary redundancy package.
Tesco Ireland’s new Everyone Must Go money-saving scheme comes on the back of the retail giant’s biggest ever financial loss in April last year – €9.37 billion. Which may explain why Christmas bonuses have been axed across the board too. Well, maybe not the board, but certainly across the shop floor.
Lifers Linda Redmond and Ciaran Lang today join other such familiar faces as Keith Monahan and Ray Clarke, as they walk away from their surrogate family, having served the people of Greystones – literally – for most of their adult lives.
We caught up with Linda this morning, outside Tesco, being joined early on by Ciaran. Who’s thinking about going back to erotic dancing.
Damn you, Apple! Switched on the Make ‘Em Pretty app, and this is what I get!
Best to view this chat as a radio interview with nice colours…