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A GROUP REPRESENTING grocery shops and convenience stores in Ireland has said that retail workers are having to deal with “an increasingly antagonistic” group of people who refuse to wear masks or social distance in shops.
In a letter to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly this week, RGDATA said that it is receiving daily reports from its members of staff having to deal with “aggressive behaviour when they politely ask for safety protocols to be followed”.
The group, which represents 4,000 grocery shops, convenience stores and supermarkets, has asked that frontline retail staff are given an increased priority when it comes to receiving a Covid-19 vaccine.
“Under the current plan it seems as if essential retail and food logistics workers will not be considered for a vaccine until Stage 13 (out of 15 stages),” RGDATA director general Tara Buckley said.
“If this remains the position, the levels of absence from shops currently being experienced are likely to be exacerbated with clear and present threats to the maintenance of food supplies nationally.”
Currently, with two Covid-19 vaccines approved in Ireland, the priority groups receiving a vaccine are people aged 65 and over in long-term residential care and frontline healthcare workers.
Next in line for the vaccine after these groups are people aged 70 and older.
Sixth on the list are key workers, including those delivering the vaccination programme, while tenth on the list are key workers in essential jobs who cannot avoid a high risk of exposure.
“Other workers in occupations important to the functioning of society” are 13th on the list, but prior to that many groups of people such as people working in the education sector and people aged 18-64 with certain medical conditions are due to receive a vaccine.
In her letter to Donnelly, RGDATA’s Buckley said that the highest numbers of people eligible for Covid-19 illness payment this week are in the retail/wholesale sector.
She said: “As you are aware this payment is made to a person who is self- isolating or where the person has been diagnosed with the infection.
“RGDATA members [...] are reporting significant challenges to managing staff rostering, and keeping staff in separate pods so as to minimise the impact on the shop of a member of staff getting the virus or being a close contact of a person with the virus.
“Given the levels of the virus in the community it is no surprise that essential retail staff and food logistics workers are being impacted and that the figures of those out of work and on the Covid 19 illness payment are rising.”
Highlighting the aggressive nature of a small number of customers, Buckley said it was important that food shops remain open and staffed to service local communities.
“I understand that there are plenty of groups and sectors that will seek to argue their priority to secure vaccination against Covid-19,” she said.
“In light of the figures released today on the Covid 19 Illness payment, and the continued operation of retail grocery shops through the Level 5 lockdown, I hope that an evidence-based analysis will result in a change in the order of vaccination priority for essential retail and food logistics workers.”
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, a Department of Health spokesperson said that the allocation group has focused in on those most at risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19.
However, the allocation strategy remains subject to change.
The spokesperson said: “The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus. The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable.
“All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.
“The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.”
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I see very few people not wearing masks in shops
I see a small but consistent number of people wearing masks below noses, pulling masks down to talk/be heard, etc.
I see most people (and I’ll include myself here) pulling out of their masks every minute or go to readjust or to scratch an itch.
I see think I see fewer people using hand sanitiser since the masks were made mandatory.
I see most people doing their best and compliance with masks and distancing high.
I also see…
Staff not wearing masks in some shops when they are behind the counter (with othed staff also behind the counter).
Staff at supermarket tills back to back without masks.
Staff pulling masks up and down regularly as they go back and forth from behind the till/counter, or going from the shop floor into the stores or office areas etc.
These at just observations from someone going to the same two supermarkets per week for the past 10 months.
Regarding vaccines:
Everyone can’t be moved higher on the priorities list.
The profile of supermarket and grocery workers is likely younger than other professions too. If you move them who do you move down? Genuine question.
@Jim Lingk: This is exactly what I’ve seen also. Hand sanitizer dispensers with nothing in them is another common occurrence.
@Jim Lingk: agree, especially about a small number of shops and their staff setting a poor example.
In my local Fresh – nearly all of the staff aren’t wearing masks (or they’re under their chins) or socially distancing. Sets a bad example to people coming into their shop. If that’s their approach to a pandemic – makes you wonder how serious they take food hygiene eh?
@Jim Lingk: the minute masks became mandatory, hand sanitisation and social distancing went out the window, people forgot you can pick it up from touch and clothes and not just inhaling it.
@Jim Lingk: Staff at tills are behind a screen, therefore they don’t have to wear a mask.
@John Quill: yes, it’s so annoying!!
@Bennett blaster: I am well aware of that.
Again,my examples are in smaller shops (including petrol stations) staff are behind a screen but are not screened off from one another and are effectively sharing the same small work space.
My other example is cashiers at tills on supermarkets who are screened off from the customers but are back to back to one another.
@John Quill: Along with filthy trolleys and nothing to clean them with.
Was awful gassy in Tesco the other day and didn’t let it go to waste when I came across some dope wearing the chin mask. Strait back over the nose! With a slight gag. Haha. Method is very effective. Would highly recommend.
Workers shouldn’t have to police this, it’s up to people to be responsible for themselves and others around them.
@Seosamh: Very unfair to be aggressive or antagonistic to shop workers just doing their job. I’ve put my mask on when I’ve been asked to in shops. The one time I didn’t was when I was just leaving anyway.
@bread of heaven: you shouldn’t have to be ask. Put your mask on before you go in. Have respect.
@bread of heaven: why do you wait till you have to be asked to wear one? Could you not just make thing easier for the staff by putting it on before you enter the shops!
@bread of heaven: how very noble of you.
@bread of heaven: you’re the prime example of the problem in this situation
@bread of heaven: Why would they have to ask you?
@bread of heaven: Some people will always find a way to make everything about themselves.
Easily addresses, no mask, no entry.
@Marguerite Hoiby: I was in any local corner shop a few weeks ago and saw the aggression from a man, of an age that should no better, about not wearing a mask. He did this to 2 young women working there. He was so smug about it, it made me sick. I challenged him for being such a d!ick to young girls, and I got the same back. These were 2 young women on minimum wage, providing a service. It was horrible.
@Bleurgh: Dreadful behaviour and in small shops I can imagine that it is a serious problem and these bullies know how to pick their targets. I had to deal wit this situation a few times in a hospital in Melbourne ( during our 2nd lockdown) when visitors refused to wear a mask. I requested they do so, offered them on, still refused, so security called and they were accompanied off the premises. I also warned them that if they did it again, next time, they would be issued with a ‘ Not Welcome’ notice and would then be unable to visit their loved one at anytime. It worked.
@Marguerite Hoiby: and get abuse/assaulted
@Marguerite Hoiby: It beats me why anyone would act like that, especially in a hospital full sick people. Why wouldn’t any decent person follow all the precautions on entering a hospital?
Let’s call them what they are, Dîckhéâds. If it’s one thing the pandemic has thought us, there’s plenty out there.
@David Linehan: Disgusting comment. some people cannot wear them for medical reasons, think twice before you start mouthing off
Just refuse to serve them at till. Let them leave empty handed. Shops have that right. If said person can produce GP letter etc. for not wearing then fine – carry on.
@Rebecca Owens: still doesn’t stop the abuse or damage theses people can do. Sound so simplistic when you don’t have to deal with it
@Rebecca Owens: Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for Weare masks and think anyone that doesn’t have a genuine reason to not wear one is moron, but what makes you think that someone working on a shop or anywhere else for that matter has a right to demand to know what medical conditions you are suffering from at the time, just because you’d be comfortable handing over a note explaining you’re medical history or ailment doesn’t mean most people are, there is the whole confidentiality of medical records too
We had to close of our off licence and put a buzzer in the door from the start of this new lockdown. I’ve had people telling me to f off and f corona when I ask them have they got a mask. I have had several arguments with customer about masks and then they pull a mask out of their pocket and put one on after a verbal exchange. (I’m only grabbing a few things il be grand) was another excuse for not having a mask or the best one (I’ve asthma and then a laugh) does my head in especially when the move our sanitizer out of the way I stead of using it. Most people are compliant and I understand some have to pull their mask down because of facial recognition on their phones. Can’t wait this to be a long memory in years to come. Stay safe everyone and stay healthy
The clamouring of all sorts of groups to be prioritised for the vaccine- each, with good reason shouting ‘me first’ is increasingly concerning but not surprising.
What we are witnessing is the deep rooted inefficiencies of the HSE…Paul Reid and his Senior Management team (& high level expert led strategy teams) can say whatever they want, the real power in health services lies elsewhere so each hospital can do whatever they want with impunity..
Given how deep rooted the dysfunctionality of the HSE is, I fear what lies ahead. A crisis highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of an organisation…In March 2020, we saw the HSE at its best but now we are seeing its faultlines laid bare and it is us, the general public who are going to suffer.
Anyone caught not wearing a mask without a medical reason should not get the vaccine. They are the girls who like to opt out of what’s best for society. So we should kick them out of society.
@Thomas Quinn: not girls *Gowls*
@Thomas Quinn: you do know some people just genuinely forget, right?
I’ve forgotten once. Only realised when I had sanitised. It was in a lidl, so the only way out was through the check outs.. so I grabbed the 2 things I needed, paid and left. Not a word was said.
Same thing happened with my mum, she forgot,and I hadnt noticed she wasnt wearing it… in lidl for over 30mins, and it was only as we walked out the door after paying that we realised she wasnt wearing a mask. Again,no one said anything. Thing was, if they had, she had a spare in her handbag.
Some people do genuinely forget. We all forget important things from time to time. Sure, I went into lidl yesterday, and had half the shop done before I realised I’d no money to pay for it. Had to call mum who was out in the car, and get her to bring in the card… and her not meant to be going into shops atm.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: make more of an effort. How many times can you “forget” to do something important in work? You are not prioritising it enough. Elderly people only go to the shop and they get everything read before they do. Lists so they don’t forget anything and have to go back, masks, their own hand sanitiser.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: you are describing habitual inattentiveness which you should correct, not make excuses for. You will not hold employment with that attitude.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: Does it not remind you when you walk into the supermarkets & everyone else is wearing one?
@Thomas Quinn: heil! Maybe they could all be rounded up and put into some sort of detention centre and disposed of? How would that suit you mein fuhrer?
@Mirabelle Stonegate: It takes less time to toilet train children than it does to seemingly get some people to wear a mask correctly and at any time they are needed.
Oh look, another group saying their members are more important than anyone else and should be vacinnated yesterday.
@D Mems: I’d like to see you grow your own food, mate.
@D Mems: I think they’re right. We hear parents giving out when they have to teach only their own child, and not face twenty five or more people daily. As far as I’m concerned, anyone who is still working for the public is a lot more exposed and should certainly have an earlier chance to get vaccinated.
Respect is something some people just don’t have, they could wear face shields instead.
@Charles Coughlan: They are not very efferent
Bring in top class security such as our unemployed nightclub bouncers.
No Mask No Service simple
With rights come responsibilities. Certain individuals within our society shout very loudly about thier rights but then fail in their responsibilities. Basic moral responsibilities. Such as protecting others within our society.
Why do all shops continue to serve people without masks on, you see it on a daily basis.
Seen three guys park on top of the door of a local garage last night. All three wandered in without a mask/hand sanitising. Then came out and went into the bathroom round the side. Three neanderthals!!!
Go into the fresh supermarket in Northern Cross Dublin 17 all customers wear masks but the staff don’t and they walk around the store
I had a go at one today in a Tesco store. Shouldn’t have to what are security guards paid for
have your say