Shelves closed: employees of a Gifi store attacked by angry customers in Seine-Saint-Denis

Since the announcement of the reconfinement to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic, the retailer of low-cost destocked products has maintained the activity of its 492 stores in France. In accordance with government directives, the company sent store managers the lists of “essential” products authorized for sale. It also provided them with a list of products that can be ordered and then picked up in store (“click and collect”) but not available for direct sale.

“On Saturday we applied the company’s guidelines by refusing to sell certain products. This gave rise to tense situations at the cash register with customers, so we decided to sell everything ”, told AFP Fouzia Dekhedda, cashier at the Gifi Millénaire store in Aubervilliers, who regrets the absence of security personnel in the store. According to her, at present, “The shelves are freely accessible, there are no tarpaulins to indicate that they are closed”.

“employees are obliged to police”

Result: “It is the employees who are obliged to police, which gives rise to situations of frustration”, Élodie Ferrier, CGT federal secretary for trade and services, explained to AFP. She reported “insults“,”physical pressures“And”spittingAgainst some employees. Questioned by AFP, the management of Gifi regretted “isolated acts of incivism“But assured to have developed a”rigorous labeling»On the shelves in order to indicate to customers the products prohibited for sale.

As of Wednesday, management guaranteed that security guards would be present in every store in Île-de-France to ensure the safety of employees.