Australian Retail Association calls for end to customer vaccination checks

The Australian Retail Association is calling on the Victorian Government to scrap the requirement for staff to check the COVID-19 vaccination status of customers, saying staff are being attacked, threatened and abused while trying to enforce the policy.

The association says Victoria should follow NSW’s lead and scrap the policy entirely from December 15.

Speaking on 3AW Drive, Paul Zahra, CEO of Australian Retail Association, said there had already been “thousands” of incidents reported in Victoria.

He said there were examples of staff being beaten up, having boiling coffee thrown on them and in one instance a shopping trolley slammed into them.

And Victoria is by far the worst state when it comes to this behaviour.

“We haven’t seen anything like this in any other state,” Mr Zahra said.

“We are disturbed by the level of customer aggression.”

He said a lack of consultation from government before the policy was implement in the first place had made it even more frustrating.

And he isn’t expecting a response from the Premier, either.

Press PLAY below to hear Paul Zahra vent on 3AW

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