Westminster Bridge Road store forced to close as demonstrators stage sit-in over job advert for unpaid permanent staff

This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

Demonstrators brought a branch of Tesco to a standstill on Saturday in protest against the company's low wages.

Police were called when a dozen protesters sat down or stood by the tills at the Tesco branch on Westminster Bridge Road, opposite the Houses of Parliament.

The right to work campaigners, who forced the shop to close to customers, were demonstrating over a job advert that looked for permanent workers in exchange for expenses and jobseeker's allowance.

Tesco has amended the "misunderstood" advert and says it was down to a mistake, but the row has continued.

As many police officers as protesters were sent to break up the small demonstration. The campaigners chanted: "Tesco bosses hear us say, we won't work if you won't pay."

They also held signs based on the supermarket giant's advertising catchphrase, which read: "Tesco. Exploitation. Every little helps."

Twitter and Facebook users had highlighted the advert for a night shift worker at a store in west Suffolk on the Jobseekers' Plus website.

It was offered under the government's "sector-based work academy scheme", which is linked to benefits payments. But Tesco said the impression that it was seeking to replace full-time workers was mistaken.

The error comes after unions called for high street chains to withdraw from government programmes that require the unemployed to work for up to six months or face losing their benefits.

Tesco has explained that the advert was "a mistake caused by an IT error by Jobcentre Plus" ,which was being rectified. It was an advert for work experience with a guaranteed job interview at the end of it, as part of a government-led work experience scheme.