M&S tells Muslim staff they CAN refuse to serve customers buying alcohol or pork

M&S tells Muslim staff they CAN refuse to serve customers buying alcohol or pork

Marks & Spencer's policy applies to Muslim staff in more than 700 stores
Shoppers are being asked to wait to pay for certain items at different till
Highlights divide among mainstream food retailers over religious workers

Marks & Spencer has told Muslim staff they can refuse to serve shoppers buying alcohol or pork, it has been revealed.

The chain has granted checkout workers in more than 700 stores permission to politely decline to serve customers for religious reasons.

Instead, shoppers are being asked to wait to pay for certain items at a different till.

Daily Mail Link


Unbelievable....

[Hom3r]

Don't shop there and don't intend to.

[deadite66]

Stupid decision, they are making a rod for their own back when other religions ask for special treatment.
i expect we'll see M&S in court for refusing someone else's request in the future.

PC gone mad I despair

[Gary L]

This is just a ploy by M&S to get loads of people to go in and buy loads of pork and alcohol.

But a couple of things.
M&S have kept the existing race war going. if there wasn't one, then they've started one.
they've raised peoples awareness of being selective as to which race/religion/skin colour serves them.

so you're in the queue with some pork and alcohol. does the white person have to come over and take over? or is it just that the white person comes over to physically handle the products?

Good Old Britain. never lets you down.

[idiosyncratic]

I wonder how far this will be taken - ok ham & vodka are easy to identify - but how about trifle, is the jelly made from pork gelatine? Does the vanilla essence in the custard contain alcohol?

[MovedGoalPosts]

If I encountered such a refusal to serve me they'd find me abandoning all my shopping on the counter. I wouldn't be waiting for someone else to put themselves out to come and serve me.

The better idea would be for the shop to move such people to non public facing roles, such as warehouse / shelf filling, if they can't do the checkout job.

Originally Posted by Rob

If I encountered such a refusal to serve me they'd find me abandoning all my shopping on the counter. I wouldn't be waiting for someone else to put themselves out to come and serve me.

The better idea would be for the shop to move such people to non public facing roles, such as warehouse / shelf filling, if they can't do the checkout job.

they can't do that that would be seen as discriminatory( although that is what they should be doing removing them well you catch my drift)

[Gary L]

I think there's a chance that they'll have a sign up saying "No pork or alcohol will be served at this checkout"

it'll save a lot of trouble when Xmas comes.

[adzii_nufc]

We can't do anything anymore. That's the problem. Jewish people in the UK, not a word about them, no fuss and no problem. In fact no other religion causes as many problems in this country than Islam. You can't pick up a paper without reading about how a Muslim has such a hard life in the UK.

You add this on top of a dodgy Bulgarian telling us what our country can and can't do then you'll see the stick is firmly up our...

[Hom3r]

This is off topic but a similar story.

You try and find any Harry Potter stuff in The Entertainer, apparently the owner is relegious and won't it because its wizardry.

But he sells Star Wars stuff (which could be describe a wizardy), and toy guns and swords.

Total double standards, that why I will not shop there.

But as to M&S they are struggling and come out with this BS, and you can find all stuff cheaper elsewhere.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by tizmeinnit

PC gone mad I despair

Absolutely.

Here's a bit from the Independent on the same story....

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...l-9020982.html

An M&S spokesperson told the Telegraph: “We recognise that some of our employees practise religions that restrict the food or drink they can handle, or that mean they cannot work at certain times.

“M&S promotes an environment free from discrimination and so, where specific requests are made, we will always make reasonable adjustments to accommodate them, whilst ensuring high levels of customer service.”

The spokesperson said their 700 stores operated on a policy of tolerance, which was nonetheless applied on a case-by-case basis. He said it included allowing Christians not to work Sundays and Jews the same for Saturdays, for instance.

[Taf]

Islam does not forbid the handling of food and drink that is "haram" (dirty). It only forbids the consumption of such things.

A few years ago a "veiled woman" started screaming in our local Tesco because someone had put a pack of pork chops on the same checkout she was using. She got nothing but looks of disgust and despair.

[Ken W]

Originally Posted by LSainsbury

Daily Mail Link


Unbelievable....

They are employed to serve customs with all that M&S sell.

If they refuse then give them the sack.