SYDNEY: Dozens of supermarket staff have suffered abuse as two major Australian grocery chains struggled to impose a ban on single-use plastic bags, with one irate customer putting his hands around a shop assistant’s throat.
Woolworths and Coles last year announced plans to voluntarily remove free lightweight plastic bags from their stores nationally and instead offer more environmentally friendly reusable bags for 15 Australian cents ($0.11) each.
The Coles ban came into force on Sunday. Woolworths’ took effect on June 20, but the company was forced to delay the move by 10 days after customers complained, with staff bearing the brunt of their anger.
A survey by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association — the union that represents shop assistants — showed that of the 141 members employed by the two chains to respond so far, 61 said they had been subjected to abusive behavior.
It included a worker being assaulted by a customer after being told there were no free plastic bags at a store in Western Australia state.
“A male customer in the self-serve area swore loudly at a female worker,” the union’s assistant secretary Ben Harris told AFP on Monday. “She provided him with some complimentary bags and apologized.”
The customer then made a mistake by scanning an item twice, but when the same worker came to help him, “he walked up behind her and put his hands around her throat,” Harris said.
Other customers have thrown grocery items on the floor and stormed off after swearing at staff.
“While we understand that some customers may be frustrated by this change, there is absolutely no excuse for abusive or violent behavior toward retail staff,” Gerard Dwyer, the union’s national secretary said in a statement.
He said the ban could also pose a health risk, with people bringing filthy used bags to pack their shopping without considering hygiene issues.
“In some cases, customers have attempted to use bags which contained vomit, dirty nappies or rat feces. This is obviously unacceptable and presents a serious health risk to retail staff,” he said.
According to US journal Science, eight million tons of plastic are dumped into the Earth’s oceans and seas each year, with toxic particles ingested by fish and, through the food chain, by humans.
In response to mounting community calls for change, all states and territories in Australia now either have a plastic bag ban or are planning one, except New South Wales. Retailers face fines of up to A$6,000 if they do not comply.
‘Bag rage’ as Australia supermarkets impose plastic ban
‘Bag rage’ as Australia supermarkets impose plastic ban
Who will triumph at the BAFTAs? ‘Hamnet’ has the home advantage
- ’Hamnet’ favored for BAFTA best film award
- ’One Battle After Another’ will pose strong challenge
LONDON:“Hamnet” could edge ahead of “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” to win the top prize at the BAFTAs, as the heartbreaker about Shakespeare, his wife Agnes and the death of their son is likely to win over British voters, experts said.
Action-packed dark comedy “One Battle After Another,” directed by US filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, leads the field with 14 nominations ahead of Sunday’s ceremony, followed by vampire thriller “Sinners,” which has received the most nods for next month’s Oscars.
But “Hamnet,” directed by previous Oscar winner Chloe Zhao and based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, is the bookmakers’ favorite to take the best film award at the BAFTAs.
“I think it’s going to be about ‘Hamnet’,” said Tim Richards, founder and chief executive of Vue cinema group.
“’One Battle After Another’ is another extraordinary film, but ‘Hamnet’ ... just feels like the kind of movie that BAFTA will go for.”
The 79th British Academy Film Awards will be held in London on Sunday evening, hosted by Scottish actor, TV presenter and director Alan Cumming.
CHLOE ZHAO VERSUS PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
Ian Sandwell, movies editor at Digital Spy, said BAFTA loved to recognize its own.
“So I wouldn’t be surprised to see (’Hamnet’) walk away with best film and maybe even Chloe Zhao challenging Paul Thomas Anderson in director as well, and then the acting awards,” he said.
Richards said if “Hamnet” wins best film, Anderson could receive best director, or vice versa, as BAFTA divides the top awards between “two extraordinary films.”
For leading actress, Jessie Buckley is a shoo-in for her performance as Shakespeare’s wife, according to bookmakers.
Leading actor is harder to call, with Timothee Chalamet vying with Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael B. Jordan for their respective performances in “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.”
Sandwell said Chalamet had been picking up awards, including a Golden Globe, in the run-up to the BAFTAs for the table-tennis movie “Marty Supreme.” “It would be his first (BAFTA), so it probably will happen,” he said.
But Sandwell said he would love to see Robert Aramayo walk away with the prize for his acclaimed performance as Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson in “I Swear.”
“Sometimes BAFTAs throw out a surprise in these leading actor categories to give it to a local lad, and it would be absolutely brilliant to see him win on the night,” he said.
In the supporting acting categories, the race is open but bookmakers currently favor Stellan Skarsgard and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas from Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value.”
One notable movie — “KPop Demon Hunters” — is not nominated because it did not have a theatrical release in Britain before it was available to stream on Netflix.
But the singing stars of the animated feature will perform their global hit “Golden” at the awards.
