Woolworths staff attacked by frenzied customers
Woolworths staff in Preston have been "spat at, kicked and punched" by rampaging customers angry that they are not getting bigger bargains in the firm's closing down sale.
Staff – who already face losing their jobs in the New Year – today accused shoppers of treating the Fishergate store "like a cattle market" and throwing stock off shelves.
The tirade of abuse began when Woolworths announced it was offering half-price deals on some products.
But customers complained that the goods were still not cheap enough – and turned their anger on besieged staff.
The abuse has become so bad that signs have been placed on on tills saying: "Due to circumstances beyond our control and staff receiving abuse and acts of violence, we can only offer price enquiries on two transactions per customer."
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The Preston store – and branches in Chorley and Morecambe – will close permanently next Saturday. A total of 27,000 staff across the company's 807 stores will be laid off after a buyer could not be found.
Staff have been prevented from speaking to the media about the demise of the one-time high street giant.
But one worker, who asked not to be named, said: "We work on the national minimum wage, get spoken to like dirt by some of our customers and still have to smile and put on a brave face.
"We have to deal with violent and abusive customers. Most of these we have had to refuse to serve and get security to remove them.
"We have people bringing things up to the sales counter and asking if the items are to be reduced further and then they start to have a go at us if they are not.
"They are complaining that a three-piece clothing set that was 20 three weeks ago and has now been reduced to a pound is still too expensive.
"It is soul-destroying."
The worker said the store, which employs around 50 workers, had to close early one night when the abuse became so bad.
Some shoppers bagging the last bargains at the Fishergate store said they felt the discounts should be better marked – there were huge 50% off signs in the shop window, but only smaller discounts available inside.
Mother-of-one Farida Ahmed, of Preston, said: "I saw the notice on the till which said people were being threatened and I can believe it is true. It is really busy in there at the moment and people will be getting frustrated, but it's not the staff's fault."
Longton man Mark Cookson said: "It is mostly the CDs and DVDs which are 50% off. Everything else is smaller discounts, but it's all a lot cheaper."
Mike Aylward, of shopworkers' union Usdaw, blasted the abuse as "absolutely disgraceful" and said it was "a sad reflection on society" that attacks on high street staff were on the rise.
He said there was currently a lot of emotion in Woolworth's stores and that the abuse was "the lowest of the low."
>> Jobs could still be saved at doomed Woolies
>> Downturn proves death knell for MFI
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Friday 03 September 2010
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