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?

[sinderella]

Ridiculous.PC gone mad,If it happens to me i will walk out and leave all my shopping at the till.

[ChillDoubt]

Aren't they making a rod for their own backs by making themselves less employable?

Would employee's at other supermarkets/retailers be within their rights to refuse to serve halal items on the grounds that it's deemed inhumane by many?

[Brenden]

No, they are employed to serve the customer not pick and choose, what with M&S and certain universities I am almost speechless that "apartheid" is insidiously coming back.

[ToraToraTora]

I find this unbeleivable, Philip Green runs M&S and I doubt he'd approve such stupidity. Is this perhaps a DM exageration?

[mushroom25]

if it's exaggeration, then a lot of the press are at it. here's another one...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10532782/Muslim-staff-at-Marks-and-Spencer-can-refuse-to-sell-alcohol-and-pork.html

[jomifl]

If muslims cannot handle a bottle that contains alchohol or a packet that contains pork how can they ener a shop that contain those objects, or live in a town or even country that contains them? Silly beyond words.

[sandyRoe]

Aren't there some tills in M&S with a sign stating 'alcohol can be purchased here'? The workers who didn't want to serve drinkers could be stationed on the other tills.

[sandyRoe]

When you see the harm alcohol can do, who can blame the pious for being reluctant to sell it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2527748/Emergency-services-busy-night-Mad-Friday-descends.html

[anotheoldgit]

Is a Muslim refusing to serve a customer with alcohol any different to a Christian couple refusing to admit two gays to their hotel?

[pastafreak]

I hope this thread does not turn into an anti Muslim tirade. This is not *just* about Muslims but about all other religious/ ethnic groups who may have reasons for not handling different products...be it Hindus and beef,or devout Catholics selling meat on a Friday. Because...if this policy applies to one group,then it should apply to all.

[SlackAlice]

I dare M&S to put up a sign saying 'Muslim/Sikh till, no alcohol or pork at this checkout' in order to prevent delay to customers queuing.

[pastafreak]

@aog...yes its different as a hotel is deemed to be open to all. As is a supermarket. M&S is still selling all items to all people...its just 'allowing' for personal morals/ethics. Its still a bit OTT though…

[anotheoldgit]

sandyRoe

/// When you see the harm alcohol can do, who can blame the pious for being reluctant to sell it. ///

Then perhaps the 'Pious' should not take up employment in a establishment that sells a legal product?

[ToraToraTora]

you cannot have employees picking and choosing what they sell. I find the Daily mirror offensive but how long would I last in a newsagents?

[hc4361]

Worst case scenario -
Buddhist serving at checkout 1 refuses to serve anyone meat/eggs/dairy
There is nobody on checkout 2 because it is Sunday and the Christian employee refused to work
Hindu serving on checkout 3 refuses to serve beef
The Jew on checkout 4 won't serve pork but will serve alcohol
The Muslim on checkout 5 won't serve any meat at all if it is not Halal and won't serve any foodstuffs containing alcohol - including mince pies and sherry trifle
The Muslim on checkout 6 will serve all meat except pork and will not serve alcohol
The Methodist on checkout 7 is very happy to serve any meat but will not serve alcohol
The atheist on checkout 8 will not serve alcohol because she is a recovering alcoholic

Checkout 9 does serve everything but you have to walk through hellfire to get to it.

[anotheoldgit]

pastafreak

/// its just 'allowing' for personal morals/ethics. ///

If supermarkets can allow for personal morals/ethics, then why not hotels?

[ToraToraTora]

I just cannot percieve at the lack of intellegence required to think this can work. The management of M&S must be extraordinarily thick.