We’re proud to keep on feeding the nation
The coronavirus crisis has brought home the importance of everyday services that are often taken for granted.
Critical work carried out by health professionals working for the NHS has been brought sharply into focus but before the current situation developed most people wouldn’t have thought too deeply about the logistics behind keeping our food supply going.
Often underappreciated, supermarket workers have proven themselves real heroes over the last few weeks as the COVID-19 epidemic morphed into a pandemic.
People are now acutely aware of how crucial a part in our lives the workers who stack shelves and man checkouts in our local supermarkets are.
Shop staff continue to turn up for work each day not knowing which of the customers they deal with could be carrying the deadly virus.
They have had to work harder, many for longer hours, while maintaining a smile on their faces. Handling cash and goods and continuing to deal with customers face-toface while so many of us leave our houses now only to buy some groceries or visit the pharmacy.
Staff at Morrisons in Kirk Road, Wishaw, are among those who have been working flat out to ensure households and families have enough supplies and don’t fall into hardship.
The store’s manager Julie Thomson said:
“I’ve got colleagues who have been here for 20-odd years, and they are all happy to help each other. It’s a very family-orientated store.
“They have totally rallied round and gone above and beyond. It’s been a real challenge but there are people coming in who are on their holidays and working shifts for us.
“The response I’ve had has been ‘what do you need and I’ll do it for you?’ They have been absolutely fantastic.
“We’ve been giving our staff free hot drinks whenever they want and a meal free of charge as a thank you to them. There are a lot of people sitting at home right now but supermarket employees don’t have that choice. We’re providing a service and feeding the nation. We couldn’t do that without these dedicated colleagues.”
Supermarket staff have had to cope with the increased demand for products, with stores thronging with shoppers as soon as the shutters are raised each morning.
Panic-buying has led to a shortage of certain items on the shelves but Julie is keen to reinforce to shoppers that there is more than enough for everyone.
She continued: “If people stopped panicbuying there would be more than enough for everyone.
“We’ve not ran out of anything, take toilet rolls for example. We have plenty of stock in the depot being delivered seven days a week now, up from five.
“If people would just buy one at a time there would be enough for everyone.
“If we were to get 500 customers and the first 250 buy two packs then we can’t supply everyone.
“Then there’s a knock-on effect as those people who missed out buy two each the next time they see it because they think there’s not enough.”
The supermarket has also put measures in place to help maintain social distancing.
“We have barriers out the front and we’re limiting the number of people we allow in the store at any time,” Julie admitted.
“We only have every second checkout on, and when you get to them we’re directing customers so there are no more than two people at them at a time.”