Australian Education Union SA boss Leah York blames urgent loo visit for ‘misunderstanding’ over handbag
One of the state’s most senior union leaders has explained the bizarre circumstances that led to a ‘misunderstanding’ about a missing handbag.
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One of the state’s most senior union leaders has explained the bizarre circumstances that led to a “misunderstanding” about a missing handbag.
Mount Gambier apparel store Lima & Co posted CCTV footage on social media showing Australian Education Union SA branch secretary Leah York taking a handbag off a display and putting it in her bag, then immediately leaving.
Ms York said she took a jacket to the counter and paid for it, and mentioned to the shop assistant she also wanted the $280 bag.
She said she believed she had paid for the bag at the same time as the jacket.
She said she then had to rush out due to a sudden need for the toilet related to a medical issue, leaving the jacket and her phone behind, and returned 10 minutes later for them and to collect the bag, which was still on a display stand.
Ms York said the incident was a “misunderstanding”.
But the shop said the only way to process purchases is when items are taken to the counter.
Ms York, who has not been charged with any wrongdoing, was visiting the southeast last Tuesday for briefing sessions about the union’s enterprise bargaining campaign.
The union official – who is paid more than $200,000 a year and also sits on the board of Funds SA – said she was the person in the two videos the shop posted to Facebook.
“I thought I had prepaid for the bag,” she said.
Ms York said when she was made aware of the Facebook posts, she contacted the shop over the weekend and paid for the handbag.
Lima & Co owner Lisa Attard, who only agreed to speak to The Advertiser after hearing of Ms York’s version of events, was not in the shop at the time. She said the footage showed Ms York did briefly leave and return.
However, Ms Attard said there was no way staff could have charged Ms York for the bag without having it processed at the counter.
“It wasn’t until the next day that staff noticed the handbag missing and checked the camera footage,” she said.
Ms York apologised for the confusion and invited union members to contact her directly if they were concerned about the incident.
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