Animated comic, 'The Side Eye: Empty Shelves'

This animated comic, created by artist Toby Morris as part of his non-fiction comic series ‘Side Eye’, explores the experiences of a checkout operator named Tasia during the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Supermarkets were one of a handful of essential businesses able to stay open during the level four lockdown, and this comic considers what it meant to be an essential worker at that time. It was gifted to Te Papa by Toby Morris and The Spinoff in 2020, in consultation with Tasia.

Tasia, on whom the comic centres, has been working as a supermarket operator for seventeen years. She earns a little over minimum wage but lives week to week, and tries to work six days a week so she has a little extra money for food. Toby Morris first met Tasia in 2018 and shared her story in a comic titled ‘Empty Shelves.’ In 2020, as the nation emerged from the level four lockdown, he spoke to her again about what had changed for her and what hadn’t.

As seen in the comic, the announcement of the first case of Covid-19 in New Zealand in late February caused a wave of panic buying at supermarkets, as some shoppers stockpiled food and toilet paper. This was stressful for supermarket staff and many, like Tasia, were concerned about their own safety. The Ministry of Health guidelines said supermarket staff did not require masks or gloves, but some stores did order safety equipment for staff use. Later in the comic one of Tasia’s colleagues is shown wearing gloves, and as in many supermarkets around the country Perspex screens were installed at each checkout between the checkout operator and the customer.

Even as panic buying died down most supermarkets still experienced high demand, and reports emerged of customers abusing supermarket workers. Tasia experienced rudeness, and was yelled at by a customer who didn’t see the need to maintain a two-metre distance from others. However, for Tasia and other supermarket staff there were some positives, such as a 10% pay increase during level four of lockdown, free public transport, and a greater sense of team spirit.

Tasia felt that the public respected and appreciated her more because they recognised that without supermarket staff, there’d be no food. Other essential workers also experienced greater caring and understanding, and felt that attitudes towards supermarket workers had changed during the pandemic. However, as the comic points out, if there has been a change in attitudes towards supermarket staff this has not been reflected in their pay.

In the months after the lockdown Tasia and her colleagues continued to work under difficult conditions. In August 2020 Auckland moved back to Covid-19 alert level 3, resulting in another wave of panic buying across the city. During busy periods Tasia and her colleagues were called on to work extra hours and postpone holidays, but when the supermarket was quiet they were asked to cut back their hours, operate with a smaller number of staff, or take on different roles and responsibilities. The pandemic highlighted how essential supermarket workers are, but across the country many are still fighting for better pay and conditions.

References

• Ashby-Coventry, Esther. 2020. ‘Living wage advocate’s concern for supermarket workers.’ Timaru Herald. May 25, 2020. https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/121542689/living-wage-advocates-concern-for-supermarket-workers
• First Union. 2020. ‘Supermarket Pay Rises Welcomed But All Essential Workers Are Worth A Living Wage.’ Press Release. Scoop Media. 30 March, 2020.  https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2003/S00307/supermarket-pay-rises-welcomed-but-all-essential-workers-are-worth-a-living-wage.htm
• Harris, Catherine. 2020. ‘Supermarket workers get $2-an-hour pay rise.’ Stuff. October 8 2020. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/123018750/supermarket-workers-get-2anhour-pay-rise
• Kronast, Hannah. 2020. ‘Supermarket workers on how COVID_19 chaos has changed their jobs forever.’ Newshub. 18 May, 2020. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/05/supermarket-workers-on-how-covid-19-chaos-has-changed-their-jobs-forever.html
• New Zealand Herald. 2020. ‘Covid 19 coronavirus: Supermarket staff describe abuse and stress in lockdown.’ 1 April, 2020. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12321427
• Radio New Zealand. 2020. ‘Week one of lockdown: What life’s been like for essential workers.’ 3 April, 2020. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/covid-19/413356/week-one-of-lockdown-what-life-s-been-like-for-essential-workers
• Singh, Sandeep. 2020. ‘“Unskilled workers” now keeping New Zealand going.’ Radio New Zealand. 1 April, 2020. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/413177/unskilled-workers-now-keeping-new-zealand-going