By Palesa Nguqu
The SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) has expressed concern over the introduction of smart trolleys at Shoprite Checkers stores, saying it may lead to cashiers losing their jobs.
The trolleys will allow shoppers to see how much money they are spending and include in-built payment terminals.
“The first of these problems is that all cashiers will be displaced by this technology. This poses a huge risk which will see a number of these cashiers joining the already burgeoning unemployment queue in the country,” union spokesperson Sithembele Tshwete said in a statement on Monday.
“Shoprite Checkers is a major employer in the retail sector which employs more than 120,000 employees whose jobs are mainly part time casual in nature.”
Following initial testing by office employees at a Checkers supermarket in Cape Town from mid-August, 20 of the new trolleys will be made available to customers at two of the chain’s stores.
The Xpress Trolley allows shoppers to scan items as pay as you go, while tracking a running total on a digital screen. It pays straight on the trolley without requiring queuing at a check-out. The screen also helps with in-store navigation.
Shoprite said last week that the trial was part of its strategy ‘’to become South Africa’s most profitable and seamless omnichannel retailer’’.
Tshwete said that it was high time that the retail sector upskilled its employees.
“The retail sector is also known for not upskilling its employees who often do… low skilled tasks. It would have been just for this company to discuss this move with the union and see what is to be done with the cashiers whose jobs are on the line because of this new technology.
“Social justice demands of the company to balance bringing in new technology (with) preserving jobs,” he said.
Saccawu is the majority union at Shoprite. It will approach the company to discuss the implications of the smart trolleys.
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