Coles employees are furious about the Christmas gift of their company, where a trade union describes it as a ‘slap in the face’.
This week, the staff of the supermarket received an e-mail stating that they would get a water bottle from the Coles brand and five ‘mythanks’ points as recognition for their work.
One employee shared a photo of the e-mail and the water bottle online and called it an ‘absolute joke’.
“The managers of Coles have decided that the frontlining personnel who works hard every day and abuses agents, only a water bottle from the Coles brand and 5 ‘points’ (equivalent to $ 5) is worth Christmas this year,” the message said.
The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (Raffwu), which led the workers’ strikes last month and demanded better wages and working conditions for staff, has quickly rejected the gift.
Coles employees received this e-mail to let them know that they will get a water bottle from the Coles brand as a gift
‘The employees of Coles cannot afford the food they sell. They are subject to common threats, abuse, assault and intimidation, “said Raffwu secretary Josh Cullinan. Yahoo Nieuws Australia.
“This rotten reaction, a second-class drinking bottle, is a blow to the face of our pandemic-essential heroes.”
“They can keep their drinking bottles and give us a livable wage, safer workplaces and safe jobs instead.”
The supermarket said the water bottles were a supplement to other bonuses and discounts
But Coles has since said that the ‘small extra gifts’ are offered to them in addition to discounts in the store and online that are available for them in December and January.
“We also offer our team higher discounts on exclusive drink brands and higher flybuys points now that we enter the holidays.”
“Each of our stores also has a Christmas meeting, including a joint meal to celebrate as a team,” said a Coles spokesperson, who said that all the above demonstrates their ‘appreciation’ for their staff.
