Thursday, 19 October 2023

 Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:59): The silly season is nearly upon us – and no, I am not talking about another place in this Council. I am of course talking about Christmas, which is almost around the corner now, and as shops and shopping centres start to get busier in the lead-up to Christmas my mind turns to frontline retail workers and their health and safety. Christmas lead-up is a very stressful time of the year for many, and often frontline retail workers bear the brunt of customers’ frustrations. Often young people with little or no previous work experience are employed during this period, and it will be their first time engaging with customers. This time of year does bring great opportunities for young people and others seeking employment or extra hours, and we need to ensure their experiences as frontline workers are positive ones that lead to continued employment in retail. I call on customers to ensure that respect, patience and tolerance are provided to workers when they are shopping or purchasing food, keeping in mind that as we are shopping during extended hours often the people behind the counter are still working and not able to be with their family or friends. I also call on managers and businesses themselves to prioritise the safety of their staff by ensuring that they have the tools and support to remain safe at work.