Staff at a Sainsbury’s store have been ordered to work on Boxing Day – despite being promised the day off.
In September, the supermarket said it would keep all of its stores and petrol filling stations shut as a “thank you” to its roughly 170,000 colleagues.
A specially-made video publicising the closure says: “To all our colleagues. Thank you for stepping up. Thank you for stacking up. Thank you for staying calm. Thank you for staying strong. Thank you for keeping us safe. Thank you for everything.”
At the time Sainsbury’s said senior leaders at the firm made the decision after listening closely to colleagues and trade unions.
“People are livid”
But according to Mirror reports – some staff have been ordered to come in.
One man whose wife works stacking shelves at the Newton Abbot superstore at Penn Inn, in Devon, said his family had planned to go away and visit relatives, but now have to return early for work.
The man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said management had originally told their workforce the store was staying closed for two days over Christmas as a “thank you” to all staff.
“Now they have found out that people who work evenings at the bigger stores still have to work,” he continued.
“Some people have arranged to travel away from home to see family and now they have to come back early.
“People are livid.
“When they made the announcement they said it was a thank you to ‘all colleagues’. It’s terrible after last Christmas when lots of people didn’t get to see their families – and now it’s happening again.
“The staff went to work all through Covid when it was really hard and this is how they are being thanked. It’s just not fair!”
Increased rate of pay
A spokesman for Sainsbury’s told DevonLive today: “The vast majority of colleagues will not need to work.
“There will be some shifts in logistics and our stores which will continue as normal so that we can make sure we’re well stocked for our customers when we reopen on the 27th but everyone who supports these shifts will receive an increased rate of pay.”
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