“Enough, I’m tired of seeing employees leaving the register to go to the bathroom. Except you’re on your period or you’re pissing on yourself, you don’t go to the bathroom anymore, because I’m tired of not understanding who I have at my register. I’m tired of seeing the cash register open and close, open and close.”
The director of the Md supermarket in Brandizzo speaks this way. Harsh words, which sounded like a slap in the ears of employees and ended up on the web in an audio that immediately went viral.
The director of the Brandizzo Md point
Forbidden to go to the bathroom? Prohibitions, if not from the Middle Ages, then from the assembly line of the fifties? In mid-afternoon, the employer’s wrath rains down on the director’s head.
The woman was suspended for 5 days. This was announced in a company note who adds: «During a meeting called immediately after the incident he admitted, in the presence of most of the staff, that he had committed a foolish thing and apologized to everyone present for his behaviour, which he said was the result of a moment of nervousness». With the newspapers, however, Luana Perna is currently silent. Overwhelmed by online reactions, “I have strict orders not to talk to anyone,” she replies. And she sends the deputy forward, Edoardo Colosino who believes it is «a situation exaggerated by the unions»: «Believe me, it’s not that bad here. Distribution is a tough world because we are always under pressure.”
The unions protest
Unions and workers did not use half measures in denouncing the incident after the video was released: for them the video forwarded to the employees’ chats by the supermarket manager, in which they were forbidden to go to the bathroom, it is an offense against workers’ essential rights and represents only the tip of the iceberg. Because for Francesco Sciarra of Uiltucs in Ivrea there are many problems in that store. Starting from the organization of work shifts. «They wrote to the company several times, but it never responded to us» denounces Sciarra. Which announces a protest, scheduled for tomorrow morning at the entrance to the supermarket.
The Brandizzo point was inaugurated a year and a half ago. 26 employees work, most of them young girls and women. And judging by the mood, it wouldn’t be a peaceful place to work at all. Maria Rosaria Caglioti, union delegate, tells the story: «I have been working for Md for 25 years. First in Chivasso and now here in Brandizzo. Giving in to 22 year old girls humiliated like this, it really makes me angry. In other audio she calls them goats ». Maria Rosaria Caglioti is not afraid and goes further: «You know, I have a doctor’s certificate that allows me to go to the bathroom every two hours. I can sit at the register and have a ten minute break. But to obtain these rights I had to fight. And anyway, does it seem normal to you? Since when do you need a medical certificate to go to the toilet during working hours?
The reactions of politicians
“It’s a shame that a woman addresses other women like this” thunders the mayor, Monica Durante cwho will be present at the demonstration in front of the store tomorrow morning.
The audio from the director of the MD supermarket in Brandizzo also provoked reactions from the political world. «I believe there is a climate in some work environments that is no longer bearable and those in charge go a little over the top because they are subjected to work rhythms that are no longer acceptable. We must all work hard to ensure that working conditions are more sustainable” comments Gianna Pentenero, candidate for the Region for the Democratic Party in the recent elections.
Dem Councilor Alberto Avetta also echoes her: «The tensions and difficulties in the workplace are understandable. But the words used by the manager towards the employees are unacceptable and end up exacerbating problems, not solving them. I hope it was an episode that got a little out of hand.”
The company note MD
The MD company – it explains in a note – «immediately collected the reports coming from the store, evaluated the material available and has adopted since June 5th a disciplinary measure of suspension towards the director communicated via registered mail”. MD «distances itself from the behavior of its employee and underlines the quality of 9,000 employees in around 800 sales points in Italy.” The company also recalls that «last June 7th a meeting was held with Uiltucs at Palazzo Lancia in Turin to examine the company situation and no reference to the incident was made there, where we would have reiterated the actions and measures taken for the Brandizzo episode.”
