Pickets were held outside the Salisbury Road branch of Tesco Express in Cathays, Cardiff and Tesco in Bangor. This is but one of many events being held by Cymdeithas yr Iaith (The Welsh Language Society) to underline the need for an effective New Welsh Language Act. More pickets and protests will be held during the next few weeks.
Tesco is one of the largest companies trading in Wales at the moment, their annual profits are beyond belief – nearly £3 billion during the last financial year - and are contunuing to rise with new branches opening all over the country. Even so, their Welsh medium provision is tokenistic, with the limited service available often being inferior and incorrect.According to Elain Llwyd, Chair of the Cardiff University branch:"During the last months, the Cardiff University Cell of Cymdeithas yr Iaith have been observing the Cathays branches of Tesco. In a survey of Welsh medium service, the Salisbury Road branch scored a total of 3 out of a possible 100. The size of the branch isn't an excuse for the shortfall of the Welsh medium service. There are no bilingual signs, and this should be one of the easiest steps for an enormous company like Tesco to take - Welsh speakers have a right to use the language in every area of life."Osian Jones, Cymdeithas Field Officer in North Wales said:"Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg is calling on Tesco to improve their provisions to include more than superficial elements, for examp signthat only need to be put up once. Buisnesses like Tesco should provide bilingual permanent signs, seasonal signs, leaflets, tannoy announcements and own-brand packaging, and they should also offer their workers free training in order to create a bilingual staff. The present provision shows a lack of respect towards the Welsh Language and it's speakers."