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Demand for action against employee who refused to serve 'help for heroes' customer
Date published: 04 November 2009
In the week before Remembrance Sunday and as many people throughout the UK are buying poppies, many Rochdale residents are demanding action against an ASDA employee who refused to serve a customer wearing a ‘Help for Heroes’ wristband.
Many local people have said that they will boycott the Rochdale store following the incident, and groups have been set up on the social networking website Facebook encouraging people to protest outside the store.
Help for Heroes is a non-political charity dedicated to helping wounded service personnel and has over a million supporters. An ASDA spokesperson has stated that the wristbands in question were sold in ASDA stores.
Rochdale MP Paul Rowen is backing the campaign for action and has written to ASDA Chief Executive Andy Bond to find out what is being done about the incident, and what action will be taken to ensure nothing like this happens again.
He said: “I was shocked to hear about the incident in our local supermarket. Help for Heroes is an important national charity which does amazing work for our armed forces.
“We must ensure that incidents like this are ended immediately. At this time of remembrance, with services being held all over the country this Sunday, and millions of people wearing poppies, it is vital that people are able to show support for our armed forces. I call on ASDA to ensure that this incident is dealt with so that other shoppers do not suffer the same treatment.”
Wardle resident Linda Phillips, who has stated she will never shop in Asda again, said: “The actions of the people involved were disgusting. The daft thing about it is Asda is part of Walmart. It was the USA who invaded and it is also an American company that these people work for and pay their wages. I would have thought if they were so offended by the situation, they would think twice about working there.”
Comments
If I was working on the till at Asda and refused to serve someone because they are wearing something that supports the Taliban I know for sure I would have been fired.
I think its absolutely disgusting what has happend here, these people should be ashamed of themselves, and ASDA should take action to put this right.
I shall be wearing my poppy with pride.
Yes MPs Gravy Train, there are plenty of superstores in an around Rochdale, however, until ASDA superstore deliver an unreserved public apology and discipline both employees those who support our troops should boycott the store.
We have not been in the store since the first report, and will not shop there until an apology has been made.
It is about time Asda commented on the accusations made against their employees, it would put an end to the growing unrest amongst the shoppers of Rochdale.
There are lots of things that I do not agree with but that is my business and, if I was serving the public, I would not let it affect the service I give them. This is symptomatic of what is going on in society in general and Rochdale in particular, discipline this individual and if guilty, sack him or can some people do whatever they want nowadays?
Totally agree with Eyeballs. The Asda staff must be disciplined and told to keep their opinions to themselves. If a customer refused to be served by a member of staff wearing a head scarf they would be told it was racist and taken to court. What that naive member of staff fails to understand is that it is because of our soldiers we have a democracy.
Totally agree with Eyeballs. Asda staff responsible should be disciplined. My family and friends will not be shopping there until a full public apology is given.
Glad to see Paul is taking up this issue, now how about sixty councillors join him?
Have Your Say
There is plenty of choice for supermarket shopping in Rochdale. We had three big superstores in town long before most towns got their first one.
By MP's Gravy Train @ 04/11/2009 14:58:42