Five former supermarket workers have accused Foodstuffs of ageism

Brian from Mount Roskill

Five former New World staff members have accused supermarket giant Foodstuffs of ageism as they wait for new jobs following a catastrophic fire that levelled their central Auckland workplace. New World Victoria Park employed 189 staff before it was badly damaged in the blaze on June 17, resulting in all the workers being made redundant. While 80 roles were reserved for workers at a new supermarket in Pt Chevalier and others have been employed elsewhere, more than 70 are yet to find jobs. The five workers claim Foodstuffs North Island has given positions in other supermarkets to younger, less experienced members of staff while they're still out of work.
The response: Foodstuffs has pushed back strongly on the workers' claims, arguing age, gender and ethnicity are never factors in its recruitment. A company spokesman said 106 former Victoria Park team members had secured roles with other Foodstuffs stores and another nine had found other employment. "We’re continuing to connect remaining team members with roles that match their availability, travel preferences and experience," the spokesman said.
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