'Too dangerous' for shop assistants to enforce mask wearing

Retail unions are concerned about who will enforce the wearing of masks in shops. File picture.

Expecting retail employees to enforce mask wearing is "dangerous" and "not practical", according to a union leader.

It will be mandatory to wear face coverings in all shops and retail centres from Monday but little information has been provided in how the regulations will be enforced, with retailers concerned about "needless conflict” with those who refuse to wear coverings.

“Expecting shop assistants to enforce this is too dangerous," said John Douglas, general secretary of Mandate trade union. 

"Even trying to enforce the alcohol rules can get messy. People have been assaulted in their local community after refusing to sell alcohol to people without ID. These new regulations could create needless conflict."

Mr Douglas said that enforcing the new public health requirement "needs to be dealt with at the point of entry" with security staff preventing people from entering without a face mask at larger retailers and, at smaller shops, large signs could be placed at the entrance to warn people that wearing face coverings inside the premises is mandatory.

He also called for retailers to provide masks at the shop entrance for anyone who genuinely forgot to bring their own.

“It’s too late if someone gets up to the fruit and veg counter or the till and a shop worker is then expected to refuse to serve them," he said. 

"Employers are responsible for health and safety and people not wearing masks puts staff and customers in danger. It has been a voluntary recommendation over the last few weeks and, from what I’ve seen, compliance has been high.

“It’s hardly a big price to pay to wear a mask for the next few weeks to flatten the curve."

However, shop owners claim their staff have already been assaulted, spat at, and verbally abused during the pandemic and there is some concern such abuse may increase with this new directive.

Tara Buckley, director general of the Retail Grocery Dairy and Allied Trades Association which represents more than 4,000 independent shops, said the vast majority of people are already following the recommendation to wear masks in shops but a small minority are not. 

“We just want to know that if those people arrive in our stores that the guards are ready to come and deal with them," said Ms Buckley. 

"And that there is some kind of enforcement, that it’s not our job to enforce them. We don’t want confrontation."

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said he does not foresee gardaí being called to enforce the wearing of masks in shops.

While gardaí have been called to a small number of incidents where public transport users refused to wear masks, this has been "the last port of call", Mr Donnelly told RTÉ radio. 

He does not expect gardaí to be required to police mask-wearing in retail environments.

Garda associations said they have not seen new regulations on mask-wearing yet.

Antoinette Cunningham, general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, said her organisation has “no guidance" about policing the new mask-wearing regulations yet but she does expect to see them this week.