Supermarket workers reveal secret pain after copping ‘abuse’ amid panic-buying scandal

As Victoria grapples in the midst of a pandemic, thousands of our supermarket workers are dealing with daily abuse from customers about everything from the price of hand sanitiser to the lack of lettuce. Now they’re saying enough is enough.

Grocery workers are being abused by stressed shoppers over pricing and unavailable products.

Supermarket workers are being abused by rude shoppers for everything from the price of hand sanitiser to the lack of lettuce, as panic-buying amid the COVID-19 crisis continues.

Fed up with her employees – many of them young – copping abuse from frustrated customers,

the owner of 15 Victorian IGA, FoodWorks and Go to Grocer stores is pleading for people to be kind to supermarket workers.

Raids on country stores by bus loads of city shoppers had taken her employees unawares, the Reddrop Group’s Tina Reddrop said.

“All of a sudden, these humble checkout operators, who are just working in their communities, are having to be bouncers, are having to be health regulators of social distancing, are having to answer questions about price gouging and supply and demand,” she said.

“I feel very overwhelmed on their behalf because they’re still coming to work – still turning up – while others are self-isolating.

“Everyone is trying the best that they can to cope with the demand and the situation – please be patient, kind and show some compassion.”

Young workers are suddenly on the front lines facing demanding customers stressed out at a lack of certain products.

Grocery workers are risking their health to keep their jobs.

With stores in the country, on the coast and in the city, the Reddrop Group employed more than 630 Victorians, she said.

Many workers were concerned for their own health as they went to work every day but had little choice but to continue because other members of their families had lost – or faced losing – their jobs, Ms Reddrop said.

They also understood the importance of their work in the COVID-19 pandemic, in serving the community and making sure people had the supplies they needed.

“The people that typically work in our stores are members of their local communities and know their shoppers. Our stores are often community hubs for people to have a chat and catch up, but now they are at the forefront of panic,” she said.

“The people working at the shop front have gone from being business workers to community servants and they deserve to be treated with respect.”

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