'We're exhausted': Woolworths worker describes crazy night shifts amid shortages
Supermarket staff across Greater Sydney are “exhausted” as they scramble to restock shelves amid major supply shortages caused by the city’s escalating Covid crisis.
Woolworths and Coles are both grappling with serious distribution issues after thousands of staff members were forced into isolation, resulting in “reduced product availability in stores and online.”
Confronting images of bare shelves at several stores have flooded social media, with one worker sharing insight into the “amazing” effort behind the scenes to replenish stock while short-staffed.
“Us nightfillers are working till 3am in the morning waiting for these trucks to arrive. Last night one came in at 1.30am. All must be on shelves before trading day. We are exhausted but we keep going,” said one Woolies worker in a private Facebook group.
Comments praising the hard work of supermarket staff swiftly followed.
“We thank you and the night fillers,” wrote one person.
Another said: “Thinking of you all as you are doing an amazing job to keep food on the shelves.”
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More stock expected over coming days
Both Woolworths and Coles expect stock levels to improve this week, thanking customers for their patience and apologising for any inconvenience caused.
In a statement to Yahoo News, a spokesperson for Woolworths confirmed:
“Due to COVID impacts on our NSW supply chain, we experienced some disruptions to our scheduled store deliveries across Greater Sydney on the weekend.
Our teams are working hard to catch-up and replenish the shelves as quickly as possible for our customers.”
Coles also told Yahoo News: “In playing our part to help protect the community, a number of our team members are currently in self isolation to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As a result, we are experiencing reduced product availability in stores and online.”
The spokesperson for Coles said the supermarket chain has “sufficient stock available” in the network
“We are working hard to get these products out to stores as quickly and safely as possible.
“We appreciate our customers for their understanding and for treating our team members with respect as we work through this challenging time together."
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