Mayor urges Tesco re-think

Newtown’s Mayor has called on Tesco to re-think its policy of recruiting foreign nationals after it was revealed that the supermarket giant has been advertising for staff abroad.

 

It is alleged that employment agencies in Eastern Europe, particularly Slovakia, have been used to recruit staff for the Newtown store which has been blighted by controversy since opening last year.

 

And it has caused outraged in a town which has been plagued by job losses caused by the recession and the news this weekend that its giant Focus store is on the brink of also going under.

 

It has prompted the Mayor to come out fighting and she has urged Tesco to give Newtown residents a second chance and to reverse its policy.

 

“I think it is very sad to think that they are advertising away from the area as we are already short of jobs,” said Mayor Cllr. Joy Jones. “With the threat of Focus closing, the more jobs available for locals the better.

 

“I have no problem with people coming to work here from abroad, but it will also put pressure on the housing situation as there is a shortage of houses to rent already in the town. I really think with the economy as it is, these jobs should be advertised locally. There are many people without jobs in Newtown and the surrounding area.”

 

Tesco says it has been unable to entice local recruits despite an intensive local recruitment drive and has widened its search as “a last resort”.

 

It has not been the warmest of welcomes to Newtown for Britain’s biggest retail brand. Many have blamed Tesco for the traffic chaos that has dominated the past year following the alteration of traffic flow systems to accommodate the store on Pool Road.