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

[Sigma]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

At the end of the day this is all BS, I've worked with people that states they cannot eat/drink certain food, but jet I've worked with somebody who would drink like a fish, and eat during daylight hours when she should have been fasting.

Another Jewish guy would eat and enjoy Bacon sarnies.

So based on your 2 anecdotes, all religious people are hypocrites?

I'm an atheist, in fact, I'd say I'm an anti-theist as I dislike religion for a number of reasons, but while religion exists - which is always, as far as we are concerned - it's better if we try and make sure we all get along. This story involves 1 shopper who was told by 1 Muslim - who was very apologetic according to the shopper - that someone else would have to serve them, and it took place in 1 store, yet based on some of the comments I've read on the web about this, you would think that Sharia is about to come into effect across the whole of the UK. The way the story was reported on some sites is to blame for that, but M&S have said that it was a mistake and that they have a policy of allocating appropriate roles to religious people that failed on this occasion. That should be the end of the matter. I'll leave the outrage to the Daily Mail readers, but this really isn't something worth getting even mildly concerned about.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

At the end of the day this is all BS, I've worked with people that states they cannot eat/drink certain food, but jet I've worked with somebody who would drink like a fish, and eat during daylight hours when she should have been fasting.

Another Jewish guy would eat and enjoy Bacon sarnies.

What meat do you think Israels 'special chicken' is...

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

Personally you are employed to do a job.

You are under contract to do what the job requires. you cannot get a job a lifesaver in a pool and refuse to enter the water for whatever reason you chose.

At the end of the day if you are working on a til you swipe the good through and take payment end of, if you object to whatever somebody else is buy look for another job.

But I reckon that a non management worker on a store gets paid more money for tills than shop floor or warehouse.

One major difference: When you are a lifeguard at a pool, it is expected that you will be required to enter the water. When you work for M&S, the sheer range of other products they sell means that the chances are you won't be working with alcohol.

[Gavin78]

I only like serving British white people can I have a sign up if I get a job working on a till because it's my belief.

Totally stupid in my opinion

---------- Post added at 10:43 ---------- Previous post was at 10:38 ----------

Originally Posted by Sigma

So based on your 2 anecdotes, all religious people are hypocrites?

I'm an atheist, in fact, I'd say I'm an anti-theist as I dislike religion for a number of reasons, but while religion exists - which is always, as far as we are concerned - it's better if we try and make sure we all get along. This story involves 1 shopper who was told by 1 Muslim - who was very apologetic according to the shopper - that someone else would have to serve them, and it took place in 1 store, yet based on some of the comments I've read on the web about this, you would think that Sharia is about to come into effect across the whole of the UK. The way the story was reported on some sites is to blame for that, but M&S have said that it was a mistake and that they have a policy of allocating appropriate roles to religious people that failed on this occasion. That should be the end of the matter. I'll leave the outrage to the Daily Mail readers, but this really isn't something worth getting even mildly concerned about.

Thing is this might have been 1 store 1 person and the while thing has probably being blown out of proportion but in the same sense it only takes 1 person to start a war.

This could be the start of something to come in the future as I said it only takes 1 person.

Originally Posted by Gavin78

I only like serving British white people can I have a sign up if I get a job working on a till because it's my belief.

Totally stupid in my opinion

---------- Post added at 10:43 ---------- Previous post was at 10:38 ----------




Thing is this might have been 1 store 1 person and the while thing has probably being blown out of proportion but in the same sense it only takes 1 person to start a war.
This could be the start of something to come in the future as I said it only takes 1 person.

just look at Gavrilo Princip

[Kymmy]

Not read most of the thread but from my experience in the past muslim till workers have just put a plastic bag over their hands or a pair of vinyl gloves when handling pork items from the butcher counter in the major supermarkets.. Islam prohibits them from touching the products and not the packaging so I don't see where the issue is ??

[Zee]

Originally Posted by 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.

so white people are not Muslim?

You cant tell what religion a person is by just looking at them

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by Zee

so white people are not Muslim?

You cant tell what religion a person is by just looking at them

Why does that remind me of a ginger dave... Adil Ray has a lot to answer for!!!

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Why is it that 'posh shops always have this problem, the staff should be glad they have a job, I am sick and tired of all this religious stuff coming into shops where certain staff won't sell this or that.

IF you work for a shop, supermarket you are employed to do a job - full stop. If you dont like it then go and find another job.

I used to work in a plastic factory and had an had to interview several people - one guy was offered the job, but refused on the ground of cruelty - the problem was we supplied a fishing rod company with plastic handles - he turned it down as it was cruel to fish on the fishing rod using the plastic handle. Thats how stupid you can get.

When did M&S become a 'posh' shop?

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Hugh

When did M&S become a 'posh' shop?

I always thought it was.
my sister shops there too. and she wouldn't be seen dead shopping at Tesco.

---------- Post added at 14:40 ---------- Previous post was at 14:38 ----------

Originally Posted by Zee

You cant tell what religion a person is by just looking at them

Exactly. so you just don't know whether the person at the checkout has got a problem with your sausages and brandy.

[Russ]

I checked what the policy of my employer is of this and if I've understood this correctly (I could be mistaken as I only had a quick glance) any special requirements an employee may have with regards to their faith (if they have one) are established before a job is offered. It is never used as a factor in deciding who to offer a job to however. If there are say 5 positions available in a store, one of them being on the tills then anyone with religious objections to handling alcohol is unlikely to be offered that one.

If someone has already been working for the company and goes on to take up a faith with 'restrictions' (for lack of a better word) then I assume they would be offered something on a different section - there are inter-department movements all the time for different reasons.

I disagree with the "If you don't want to do your job then leave" attitude - some stores are close to areas with high Muslim populations and having that sort of attitude is likely to drive customers away.

On the subject of this story I think it would be odd for M&S to put someone like that on the tills at a high-demand period such as Christmas though. Customers are usually stressed enough without being told they have to queue somewhere else once they get to the till.

---------- Post added at 15:41 ---------- Previous post was at 15:40 ----------

Originally Posted by Hugh

When did M&S become a 'posh' shop?

Showing your social class a bit there

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Russ

Showing your social class a bit there

All this time he's been shopping at Aldi. now he's going to shop at M&S now he's heard it's a posh shop

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Why is it that 'posh shops always have this problem, the staff should be glad they have a job, I am sick and tired of all this religious stuff coming into shops where certain staff won't sell this or that.

When was this such a common problem that people became sick and tired of it ? it's the first time i've heard of it happening

[Arthurgray50@blu]

To me if, you work in any store. Then you are employed to sell to customers, the products within that store.

Its like going for a butchers job that sells Halal meat. If you didn't like that, you wouldnt go there for a job would you.