Over 100,000 sign petition to “stop replacing people with machines” in Tesco

A Tesco customer has called on Big 4 grocer Tesco to stop replacing its staff with machines, following a struggle to use the stores self-checkout.

As a result, Pat McCarthy, 69, started a petition calling for more cashiers on tills, receiving over 100,00 signatures.

McCarthy from Brentford in West London, began her campaign after visiting a Tesco Extra store where she said self-service tills make up three quarters of tills.

“These new tills are not accessible for people who don’t have credit cards and can only use cash or those with little confidence to use these self-service card-only tills – myself included,” she said.

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“People such as carers, older people, disabled people with mobility problems or lifting problems have to queue waiting for more than 30 minutes.

McCarthy added that she loved chatting with checkout staff as she lives by herself, however, now, that “now that experience has been taken away from me”, she said.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “Our colleagues and the friendly service they provide are absolutely vital to our stores and will always be on hand to help our customers, whether they are checking out at one of our colleague-operated or self-service checkouts.”

As a result, Tesco customers have taken to social media to “#BringBackTescoStaff”, calling on CEO Ken Murphy to hire more employees for the supermarket tills, instead of getting more self-checkouts.

One customer tweeted: “Never use a self service till. People need jobs and customers deserve better”.

Never use a self service till. People need jobs and customers deserve better #BringBackTescoStaff

— John Courtney (@jayrsee) May 18, 2022

Another added: “These tills do not contribute towards National Insurance or pay tax /pay into pensions etc ! Companies that use these are saving huge amounts of money on their payroll but we are not seeing any reduction in shop prices.”

#BringBackTescoStaff These tills do not contribute towards National Insurance or pay tax /pay into pensions etc !
Companies that use these are saving huge amounts of money on their payroll but we are not seeing any reduction in shop prices.
Its madness a real bug bear of mine.

— Tracey Sultana (@TraceySultana) May 18, 2022

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