Countdown supermarket shoppers are encouraged to buy only the necessities to ensure others have enough items to buy, as well. The supply of items in Countdown groceries has been interrupted by a workers’ strike in their Auckland sites. Approximately 700 employees had a strike due to the grocery store brand’s refusal to increase salary to accommodate the consumer price index when a bargaining for payment commenced.
Distribution centre employees from Auckland’s two distribution warehouses got into a new agreement with the management. The new agreement stipulates that there will be a 5 percent salary increase during the following year. Additionally, the new agreement also states there will be a 3.9 percent salary raise for nine months the year after. The agreement reached upon also comprises additional sick leave benefits and redundancy benefits. Life has become harder for most people due to the outbreak and spread of the pandemic. The people severely affected by the ravages of Covid-19 have been working class individuals. These people depend on pay check after pay check to financially support themselves on a daily basis. The said agreement is set to benefit Countdown employees in Palmerston North and Christchurch, too. First Union spokesman, Jared Abbott, made the said announcement on Friday evening, November 26. Abbott further shares the support the mass population gives to the workers on strike has let these employees believe in their capabilities.
A representative from Countdown has announced the company was happy to have settled the dispute with the employees. However, there were some downsides on the local market of the supply industry that are persistent. The representative said customers should still see lack of items in Countdown’s grocery stores in the days to come, while the grocery chain get in the process of getting the stocks of items back to the stores.
People complain about not getting enough stuff in Countdown’s grocery stores. A lady posted on Countdown’s Facebook page in which she says the supermarket shelves appeared just like what it looked like when the lockdown was first implemented. Whangarei grocery shopper, Charn Tiebtienrat shares that the items were almost gone when he visited a local grocery store, Regent Countdown.
There’s a strong possibility that Countdown customers are going to see shortage of grocery items in days, or even weeks to come. Such a situation that can potentially happen arises out of the Covid-19 health crisis. The pandemic dilemma has detrimentally impacted the operations of Countdown’s distribution sites.
