Plea for refuse collectors to be allowed to carry out ‘critical service’ without abuse

Young people waiting to be interviewed at an Aberdeen supermarket were packed into a cafe area.

Images from a reader were sent into The Press and Journal which showed young people sitting together at tables in the Garthdee Sainsbury’s restaurant, not adhering to the social distancing measures put in place by the government.

They could be seen filling in paperwork and the woman, who asked for anonymity, said: “They were interviewing for jobs and the cafe was packed.

“I asked to see a manager to complain about the clear disregard for social distancing measures and was told ‘he’s in there’.

“It was mostly teenagers, from what I saw. What are their parents thinking? Not to mention the managers?”

It comes as supermarkets launch recruitment drives to meet increased demand during the coronavirus outbreak.

A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said: “We are working hard to adhere to all government guidelines on social distancing and introducing a range of measures to keep our colleagues and customers safe.

“Applicants at the store were asked to sit a table apart and we limited the number of people allowed into the cafe at any one time.”

The stores have since introduced precautions such as limiting the number of customers in shops and queuing systems outside stores.

Staff will also be reminding shoppers to keep a safe distance from other customers and from workers.

Screens have been introduced at manned checkouts – and chip and pin machines, baskets and trolleys are regularly sanitised.

Bin collectors in Aberdeenshire have been pestered by residents this week telling them to go home – but the council has reminded the public the “critical service” must continue.

The local authority has received reports over the past few days that certain householders have been interfering with household waste collection crews going about their jobs.

But the council says the service needs to continue “to ensure public health is maintained”, and issued a plea for residents to “let our crews get on with their essential job, and keep a safe distance away”.

Bin collectors have been verbally abused by residents

Waste has also been piled up outside recycling centres, which are closed.

Peter Argyle, chairman of the council infrastructure committee, has appealed for residents to follow the rules and allow bin collection to go ahead unimpeded.

He said: “I have a huge admiration for the crews still doing the rounds. They are continuing to deliver a vital service in a manner that has been deemed to be safe and they are taking every precaution.

“If people don’t want to have their bins emptied, then that’s fine, and they shouldn’t put them out and they won’t be bothered – but don’t start abusing these workers.”

Mr Argyle also said those travelling to recycling centres only to abandon their waste outside the closed gates were creating unnecessary risk and generating more problems for others.

He added: “On the matter of recycling centres, we have made it very clear they are closed and it is appropriate that they are closed because they cannot be deemed as essential.

“It’s quite frankly unacceptable. People really need to follow the rules because we’re not playing games here. It is a very serious matter.”