australian supermarket staff attacked in free bag ban anger
by：Taohan
2020-02-07
CANBERRA, Australia
Australian supermarket staff find themselves on the front line of a backlash from consumers\' anger over the ban on singles
Union officials said on Monday that the use of plastic bags, minority insults at the cashier, and a customer holds his hand over the employee\'s throat.
Retail giants Woolworths and Coles account for about Australian supermarket trade, and they announced new targets last month to reduce plastic products and packaging in response to customers who want a greener shopping experience
But their staff union store, Association of distribution and union employees
Say some customers don\'t respond well to free singles
Use 15 Australian points (11 cent)reusable bags.
On June 22, a Woolworth supermarket in the west coast city of mandura, a customer was angry that a female staff member lacked free plastic bags --
Two days after the ban began in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, assistant Australian Western Union Minister Ben Harris said.
\"He walked behind her and put his hand around her throat,\" Harris said . \".
\"I don\'t know how much pressure he put on, but any physical contact is appropriate, especially if it\'s coming in from behind, which I think is particularly scary,\" he added . \".
Carl Webb, general manager of Woolworth state, said police had been contacted on the matter and provided support to the employee.
Customers are prohibited from entering the store.
\"The safety of our team is critical and we do not tolerate abuse against them under any circumstances,\" Webb said in a statement . \".
Woolworths announced last week that their reusable bags will be given away free of charge for 10 days until Sunday, July 8, while customers are used to not having single bagsuse bags.
Coles launched its single
Use the package ban from July 1 and add staff to the supermarket to help customers cope with the change.
Queensland\'s environment minister, Leeanne Enoch, predicts that customers who bring their bags to the supermarket will soon become second nature.
\"Some of our members of the public need some time to get used to remembering reusable bags with them, but it won\'t take long for many of us to use it as a daily exercise,\" she said.
The union has launched a public propaganda campaign to prevent customers from venting their frustration to their employees.
The union said that in addition to complaining about the cost of the bag, the customer pressed the staff to overload reusable bags so that fewer bags were needed, it also handles vomit, dirty diapers and mouse feces carried by customers.
Before Woolworths and Coles took action, half of Australia\'s eight states and territories had banned singles --
Plastic shopping bags are used according to law.
From July 1, Queensland and Western Australia joined with South Australia, tazhou, the northern region and the Australian Capital Region-wide bans.
But the most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria
More than half of Australia\'s population lives
Refuse to change.
The EU is proposing a ban on plastic products, such as straws, to reduce the amount of garbage that destroys beaches and oceans.
Australian supermarket staff find themselves on the front line of a backlash from consumers\' anger over the ban on singles
Union officials said on Monday that the use of plastic bags, minority insults at the cashier, and a customer holds his hand over the employee\'s throat.
Retail giants Woolworths and Coles account for about Australian supermarket trade, and they announced new targets last month to reduce plastic products and packaging in response to customers who want a greener shopping experience
But their staff union store, Association of distribution and union employees
Say some customers don\'t respond well to free singles
Use 15 Australian points (11 cent)reusable bags.
On June 22, a Woolworth supermarket in the west coast city of mandura, a customer was angry that a female staff member lacked free plastic bags --
Two days after the ban began in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, assistant Australian Western Union Minister Ben Harris said.
\"He walked behind her and put his hand around her throat,\" Harris said . \".
\"I don\'t know how much pressure he put on, but any physical contact is appropriate, especially if it\'s coming in from behind, which I think is particularly scary,\" he added . \".
Carl Webb, general manager of Woolworth state, said police had been contacted on the matter and provided support to the employee.
Customers are prohibited from entering the store.
\"The safety of our team is critical and we do not tolerate abuse against them under any circumstances,\" Webb said in a statement . \".
Woolworths announced last week that their reusable bags will be given away free of charge for 10 days until Sunday, July 8, while customers are used to not having single bagsuse bags.
Coles launched its single
Use the package ban from July 1 and add staff to the supermarket to help customers cope with the change.
Queensland\'s environment minister, Leeanne Enoch, predicts that customers who bring their bags to the supermarket will soon become second nature.
\"Some of our members of the public need some time to get used to remembering reusable bags with them, but it won\'t take long for many of us to use it as a daily exercise,\" she said.
The union has launched a public propaganda campaign to prevent customers from venting their frustration to their employees.
The union said that in addition to complaining about the cost of the bag, the customer pressed the staff to overload reusable bags so that fewer bags were needed, it also handles vomit, dirty diapers and mouse feces carried by customers.
Before Woolworths and Coles took action, half of Australia\'s eight states and territories had banned singles --
Plastic shopping bags are used according to law.
From July 1, Queensland and Western Australia joined with South Australia, tazhou, the northern region and the Australian Capital Region-wide bans.
But the most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria
More than half of Australia\'s population lives
Refuse to change.
The EU is proposing a ban on plastic products, such as straws, to reduce the amount of garbage that destroys beaches and oceans.
Custom message
