Supermarket staff nationwide are on edge after the terror attack at an Auckland Countdown that saw seven people injured – three critically.
A 32-year-old Sri Lankan national, who was under heavy policy surveillance, carried out a knife attack while at the Countdown in New Lynn Mall shortly after 2pm on Friday afternoon.
Officers shot him dead, within minutes of the attack unfolding.
It comes just months after four people were stabbed at a Dunedin store, and as workers have faced increased pressure as a result of Covid. Others also reporting increased physical and verbal abuse.
Kalein Howard has worked at supermarkets since 2004. What she’s faced on the job as a supermarket supervisor at a Hamilton Countdown in the last couple of years is among the worst in her career.
“We’ve experienced physical abuse, we’ve had things thrown at us. Workers have said they have been spat at,” she says.
She chose not to work through this lockdown, because of the physical and verbal abuse she faced last time.
“I was too traumatised to work, but I felt guilty that my other colleagues would still be here taking on the brunt for me,” she says. “But it’s broken me. It’s broken my mana. It’s hard to get back up from experiences like that.”
The news of Friday’s attack has added to the fears she already had for herself, and her colleagues.
“When the news broke… my heart dropped, it sunk. I got anxiety and I couldn’t even sleep properly. I was having nightmares.”
It’s left her wondering, whether the job she once loved, is still worth the risk.
“It’s getting worse [the attack] could have been on any one of us. My heart feels heavy knowing that innocent people have to go through this day in and day out while they are serving the community with their essential items.”
She’s calling on the public to be kind when going in store - or don’t go at all.
This morning, all Countdown supermarkets were closed as staff got together – in a socially distanced manner – to support each other. Trauma counsellors were also made available.
In a statement Countdown general manager Kiri Hannifin says the team was grateful to its customers and the wider community for their support.
“Our thoughts are with the customers who were injured and their families,” she says.
She adds as the supermarket chain reviews its safety processes all knives and scissors were to be removed from its shelves.
“This is in no way a reflection on our customers, but an act of support for our team. We want all of our team to feel safe, when they come to work.”
Foodstuffs, this afternoon confirmed it too had removed knives from its shelves as it reviews its own safety processes.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster acknowledging the concerns of staff as he announced there would be more officers on the ground at supermarkets in the coming days.
“We will provide the best visible presence we can around such locations over the coming period.”
First Union rep Tali Williams says it is a hard time for supermarket workers all around the country.
“Across the country, staff are nervous about the exposure they have as frontline supermarket workers, not only to the virus, but to this kind of violence,” she says.
“Specifically at Countdown Lynn Mall, the workers there are feeling really traumatised about what they experienced. They are supporting each other as best as they can through a really awful thing that they have witnessed.”
She says conversations were underway with the supermarket chains around what more could be done to improve safety.
“Everybody always feels like more is needed, so it’s something that we continue to advocate. But I don’t think it’s anything specific that would have stopped the horrific incident of yesterday.”
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