Tesco Ireland has dismissed claims from shopworkers' union Mandate that retail staff turnover rates are spiralling out of control. Mandate president Owen Nulty told union conference delegates in Tralee, County Kerry, that nine out of every 10 workers recruited to the trade leave within a year. "The high staff turnover would seem to indicate deep problems within the country's supermarkets and shops," he said. A Tesco spokeswoman said she was genuinely baffled by the claims. "Staff retention is not a particular problem at Tesco. Our benefits package is extremely competitive and we are among the best payers in retail. "Staff get a 10% discount, deals on car insurance and health clubs through partnerships, and a whole raft of other benefits including a good pension scheme." Retail Placement, a Dublin agency which recruits staff for the sector, also disputed Nulty's allegations over poor pay. The average rate for store staff was around E12 an hour ­ almost double the national minimum wage, said a spokesman, while managers in stores with a E5m turnover earned up to E50,000 a year. Nulty, whose union has been involved in disputes with Tesco and Dunnes Stores in recent times, blamed "low pay, Sunday working, unacceptable rosters and inflexible management" for the fact that 12,000 staff had left the sector last year. "The trend in staff turnover is continuing to rise," he warned, "and employers are being shortsighted if they believe they can rely on an ever-diminishing pool of labour. "When you consider that as well as low pay and poor management attitudes, there is a lack of proper pension arrangements in many employments, it is easy to see why staff are being driven out of the sector." {{NEWS }}

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