Cleaners involved in staff cuts dispute

The cleaners claim the Surrey-based contracting firm have cut jobs and hours, increasing pressure on a reduced cleaning staff at Tesco stores at Lisnagelvin, Quayside and Limavady.

A spokesperson said three workers at Lisnagelvin, three at Quayside and six at Limavady have already been affected by the cuts. The workers also claim TC Contractors are seeking 59 redundancies from its complement of 316 staff across Northern Ireland

But TC Contractors denied the claims saying a recent consultation with staff resulted in a small reduction in staff numbers but not of a level complained of by the Londonderry cleaners.

In a statement to the Sentinel the firm advised: "TC Contractors employ over 300 people in Northern Ireland. We continually review the services we provide and following extensive consultation with our staff have taken the difficult decision to make a small reduction in our staff numbers.

"We are very proud of the work our staff carry out every day and work with them to ensure that we provide good working conditions and deliver an excellent service for our customers."

The cleaning contractor said the consultation had resulted in 11 redundancies from a work force of 316 across Northern Ireland.

The Sentinel contacted Tesco but a spokesperson said it was a matter for TC Contractors and its employees.

A petition is being arranged on behalf of the workers by local lobby group Communities Against Cuts.