Retail Apartheid?

[mushroom25]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2527820/Marks-Spencer-tells-Muslim-staff-CAN-refuse-serve-customers-buying-alcohol-pork.html

Good Idea?

[ChillDoubt]

This story is spreading like wildfire especially on aggragated news sites (like the Times of India) but they are essentially regurgitating the Telegraph/Mail story.
--------------------
You don't say? I'd never have guessed, thanks for clearing that up for me.......

Sheesh!

[zebo]

Can a Hindu shop assistant refuse to sell sweets on the grounds that they may contain gelatine made from cow products?
Could I refuse to serve as German as they bombed our chippy?
Could I refuse to serve a Man U fan on the grounds of being the founder of ABU?
Why was the Muslim shop the only place to buy alcohol on Christmas Day?
Doesn't it get very silly?

[Gromit]

AOG

I assume that was aimed at me. When the Mail and Telegraph begin to print untrue stories about Christians, I promise I will try to expose them too. If newspaper print lies then we should do our best to expose them.

Marks and Spencer's Equal Opportunies and Diversity documents do not mention a right not to serve customers.


http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/careers_about/our_diversity

http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/documents/how_we_do_business/equal_opps_policy.pdf

http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/documents/specific/investors/governance/code_of_ethics.pdf

[ChillDoubt]

If it is untrue, M&Sdon't appear to be doing anything to stem the tide of customers who are leaving in droves over the issue:

https://www.facebook.com/MarksandSpencer

I don't do Farcebook but it would appear they need to do something to either confirm or deny, and right sharpish too.

[mushroom25]

gromit, I note that none of the links to M&S documents are dated. of course I don't know about M&S in particular, but many companies I deal with are hopeless at keeping their websites up to date. If the telegraph story is true, and the reported policy is recent, i'd not expect it to appear on the M&S website until March next year.

[Mosaic]

Can I as a customer choose not to be served by someone who eats the flesh of animals who have been bled to death?
Can I refuse to be served by a woman in a headscarf as I believe this clothing item is a symbol of a system that represses women?

I hold my beliefs passionately and will be insulted if they aren't respected.......

[Gromit]

If the Telegraph /Mail story is true then the policy is a disgrace and M&S deserves to lose many customers as a result.

I just don't think it rings true. Purely on a practicality basis, the policy would be unworkable, put customers off and is a PR disaster.

I will be interested to see if M&S do make a comment.

[sandyRoe]

They're damned if they do and damned if they don't. "We expect employees who are followers of Islam to go against all they hold dear and sell haram good to customers." This seems almost as bad as saying a till operator can decline to serve someone wanting a Christmas bottle of sherry.

[ChillDoubt]

There must be an M&S PR rep on call for such instances, particularly at the busiest time of year?
If untrue, it could already be too late.

[hc4361]

sandyroe, surely the right and proper way would be for M&S to deploy staff who refuse to handle certain foods to a non-food department?
There must be plenty of suitable posts.

[sandyRoe]

I made much the same point in my post at 12.01

[hc4361]

Maybe M&S are reacting to pressure from their partner, the Al Hokair Group who is a big business in Saudi

[FredPuli43]

AOG, on what evidence, on what basis, do you believe the story to be true? The story appears to originate with the Mail and been copied by the Telegraph. It is not in 'a paper of record'. The evidence is from one anonymous shopper, and an anonymous spokesman, whose status is not given,and M & S themselves make no reference or allowance for the practice in any of their rules, policy statements, or guidance for staff.

Do you not think that, if this was policy in even one shop, the Mail would not find one shopper who suffered it and who would give their name ? The refusal could hardly be unique at this time of year or at all. Could they not even get a reporter to the shop to try it ? They could take pictures too; if they can inform us, by a helpful photograph, what the wine shelves of a supermarket look like (goodness, I never knew: I suppose the Mail thinks its readers need to be shown too, otherwise what's the point?) they must have enough imagination to do that, and to identify time and location.

[mushroom25]

fred, it's the other way round - the mail acknowledges their source (the telegraph) in their article.

[FredPuli43]

Tora, Sir Philip Green famously tried to get control of M & S in 2004, but failed. He has been growling since. He owns BHS and has had plans to open 150 food sections to start an attack on M & S's high profit sales area.

[FredPuli43]

Mushroom, I stand corrected. I was alive to the possibility: notice that I said "appears to" not simply 'originated'.Either way round, the story is suspect.

[jomifl]

I can't think why muslims would work for a shop that has business connections with Israel.

[sandyRoe]

Indeed, in the Spring it must be galling to have to sell new potatoes which have 'product of Israel' printed on the packaging.

[Gromit]

Fred,
Looking at the posting times, it appears to be a Telegraph article posted at 10pm last night, that has been rewritten by the Mail at 9.51 this morning.

[Brenden]

Oooo my favourites sandy "Exquisa" delicious.