Supermarket workers petition for 10 per cent bonus to cover level 3

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

An employment law advocate says employers need reminding work rights have not changed because of the coronavirus crisis.

Thousands of supermarket workers are calling on their bosses to extend the wage bonus offered to employees during level 4.

A petition has been delivered to the chief executives of Foodstuffs and Countdown asking for the 10 per cent bonus payments to cover hours worked over the last two weeks.

The petition was signed by over 3500 workers from Countdown and Foodstuffs, which owns Pak'n Save, New World and Four Square.

First Union secretary for retail Tali Williams said it was a relatively small request from the workers, who had seen no change in work requirements or conditions between the two levels.

Supermarket staff have born the brunt of Kiwis' frustrations during lockdown, says First Union secretary Tali Williams.

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“This is important because it recognises that the past six weeks have been really stressful and hectic for them, and they have gone above and beyond what has been asked of other kiwis across the country,' Williams said.

“They have had to be on the frontline, and they never knew what each day was going to bring or how exposed they were. It's about valuing the essential role they played.”

Williams said supermarket workers had told her that under level 3 of the lockdown, duties were the same as under level 4.

'One thing for sure is that the stress levels have remained very high in terms of how customers are behaving and coping,' Williams said.

'Everyone has brought with them into the supermarket all their stresses and worries of being isolated and unsure of what is going to happen next. By in large, this does get taken out on supermarket workers.'

Williams said there had been a number cases of customer abuse against workers.

Additional cleaning had also continued during level 3.

Continuing with the bonus payment for hours worked during level 3 was the least supermarkets could do for their workers, Williams said.

'Supermarket workers have played a critical role in the past six weeks in terms of being there for us so that we can go and do our groceries and stay isolated and stay in our bubbles, they have had to burst theirs,' she said.

'They have been guinea pigs, they have played a leadership role really in our communities, and we believe they deserve to be valued.'

Countdown and Foodstuffs have been approached for comment.