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Muslim checkout staff can refuse to sell drink
Last updated at 00:37am on 01.10.07
Muslims can now choose to steer clear of the alcohol aisle if they work at Sainsbury's
Muslim supermarket checkout staff have been given the right to refuse to sell alcohol to customers.
At least one chain has allowed workers to call in a colleague to take their place when customers are buying beer, wine or spirits.
Those with religious objections to selling drink have been asked to raise their hands so that a colleague can step in.
Staff have also been allowed to avoid stacking shelves with alcohol.
The system by which a checkout worker can raise their hand to avoid selling alcohol - much in the same way staff under 18 have to raise their hand to get the permission of a supervisor to sell drink - has been introduced by Sainsbury's.
The chain operates the practice at at least one store in North London, where one checkout worker is regularly replaced by Muslim colleagues who are prepared to sell alcohol and handle packages or bottles containing it.
Sainsbury's said yesterday that it operates a 'flexible' system in which store managers make their own decisions on what practices suit the needs of staff and the demands of trade.
A spokesman said: "We are flexible and we will accommodate religious needs as far as we can. We don't have a hard and fast rule."
Muslim groups praised the store for its understanding of religious needs.
Inayat Bunglawala, assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "By selling alcohol you are not committing a sin. You are just doing the job you are paid for.
"Muslim employees have a duty to their employer and in supermarkets most people would accept that in selling alcohol you are merely passing it through a checkout. That is hardly going to count against you on the day of judgement."
Reader views (28)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
I am vegetarian. If I worked in a supermarket, I would have strong objections to handling meat, to me the use of animals in this way is unethical and physically disgusts me. I am sure that Jewish people would feel the same about pork and Hindus about beef. Perhaps as a friend suggested, to save embarrassment, we could have different checkouts for different beliefs, i.e. Hindu checkout, Muslim checkout, Jewish checkout, vegetarian checkout. These could be colour coded so that people would see where to go if they did not speak English.
On the other hand, maybe the only person able to serve at checkout or shelf stacking will be Mr Sainsbury himself.
- Jay, Worthing, UK
People power - vote with your feet! I shall never shop there again.
- Sue Try, Tring Herts
When they run you out of your country we have some room over here.
- John Cunningham, Haverford, PA, USA
I strongly object to the sale of cigarettes which are proven to be exceptionally harmful - and would not be allowed to be sold if they were in a food or medicine form.
Would I be allowed to get someone else to sell them?
- Maz, Derby, UK
Why stop at alcohol - why not go for all non-halal meat too. Or even better, simply stock just halal meat so we are all forced to eat it, which is on the Islamist agenda anyway. Refuse to serve women unless they wear at least a headscarf, and do not serve men without beards, or anyone who might be even slightly gay. Shame on you Sainsbury's. The answer appears obvious to me - all reasonably minded people who value the freedoms of this country should NOT do their shopping at Sainsbury's or any other store which brings in this nonsense. Or if they have to go to Sainsbury's, just don't buy alcohol there, save it for Threshers or Victoria Wine. They'll soon choke once they start to feel the pinch.
- Rob, Cheltenham
Yet more bending over backwards to accomodate religious sensibilities. This smacks of just being plain awkward. They don't mind working for a company that sells alcohol, the profit from which contributes to their salary. I wouldn't work for a company whose ethics I didn't like. Surely this is displaying double standards. They don't even have to touch the stuff - it usually in bottles or cans.
If I found my local Sainsbury's giving way to such nonsense I'd boycott it immediately.
- Tony Youens, Ripley, Derbyshire
This is stupid. If a shopworker is unwilling to serve every customer equally, he (or she) should not be doing the job. If his principles preclude serving alcohol, he should seek work in a shop where alcohol is not on sale!
- Nigel, London
If you object to alchohol sales then surely you should also object to working for a firm selling alcohol?
- Hobbs, London, UK
This is politically correct nonsense. If they do not want to sell the goods they should get another job!
- Sash, London
This is another legacy of Tony B Liar.
- Brian, Birmingham
Once businesses start allowing staff to choose whom and how they serve, you know that you have massive problems coming! Totally ludicrous.
- Phil Jones, London UK
Imagine how long the queues are going to be around Christmas time...
- Sue, East London
When is this going to stop. It's going from the sublime to the ridiculous!
- Jo, Canvey Island
Ever stood waiting in a check-out queue while the operator attempts to get assistance? That is me finished at Sainsburys!
- Roy G, Solihull, England
This has got to be the most PATHETIC country in the world, when is it all going to end?
- Philip Alan Pilbeam, Guildford, England
Does it really matter? So long as someone else takes over and you get your alcohol, why complain?
- Anthony, London
Fair enough.
I think it's a bit silly, for the reasons given by Inayat Bunglawala, but at the same time if a company can implement a fairly straightforward policy that will make some employees' lives a little easier, what's the problem?
- Jonathan, Reading, Berkshire
How pathetic! I'm with Judith on this one. You're not selling alcohol, you're doing your job. You're not expected to drink it or promote it. All you have to do is swipe it past a barcode scanner. Hardly a problem. If you don't want to do it, get another job. Just because someone has an objection talking on the phone, for example, does that mean all his/her future employers must work around that? No, I don't think so. This country is so pathetic it's not even funny any more! Thanks Blair. Thanks a bunch.
- Huh, London, UK
Even the Muslim Council appears to think that this is stupid and that's saying something.
- Terry Roll, London
I would just try and get another job instead of trying to exploit Nu Labour rules to sit around idle half of the time. I am sure that is OK in their own countries but here they should work like the locals. I guess the lady is just using the Nu Labour government culture of trying it on...
- Georgie, London
I'm a bit squeamish so I'm not a surgeon. Common sense really.
- We, Kent
Amazing how many Muslims run an Off-Licence and Tobacconists. How do they do that, then?
- Steve Johnson, Reading, UK
Given Inayat Bunglawala very practical comments, Sainsbury's are pandering to the right wing Muslims and thus are simply stirring racial tensions.
- Frank, Home Counties, England
Oh for goodness sake, if you don't want to sell alcohol to someone, don't work in a supermarket!
- Judith, Leeds, UK
Bonkers. This should not be allowed. They may be proscribed from drinking alcohol but there is nothing to stop them selling it if working in a store that sells other products as well.
- Marc, Harrow, UK
No problem - as long as Jews can refuse to sell pork/ shellfish, Christians can refuse to sell Halal meat, vegetarians can refuse to sell meat. Another pathetic PC 'yuman rites innit' acquiescence.
- Gary Parker, Amersham
They don't mind working for an employer who sells it but they won't charge it at the checkout - another example of religious stupidity and I will now sell my Sainsbury's shares.
- Frederick, Dubai
Does this extend to pork products? Time people got real.
- Peter Kavanagh, Auckland, New Zealand
