Presuming Pak'n' Save has correctly followed employment law and is operating within the terms of its existing arrangement with the merchandisers, it's easy to have sympathy with both sides.
Pak'n' Save claims the changes were being made following customer research, and that the aim was to create a safer shopping environment, as well as one that made the shopping experience easier for customers.
There can be little doubt that by removing ladder trucks from the supermarket while most customers are shopping, Pak'n' Save will be making for a safer and more customer-friendly experience. It's also much easier to shop when staff and merchandisers are not in the process of restocking shelves.
Balanced against this is the realisation that the proposed change in hours is a dramatic one, with the potential to cause massive disruption to a not-inconsiderable number of families, many of which rely on one income.
Already, there are claims some merchandisers have quit their jobs after years of service, instead returning to the benefit. This has to be an unsatisfactory situation for all concerned.
While Pak'n' Save is presumably within its legal rights to take the steps it as, even it must be disappointed at the outcome and the disruption it has caused to the merchandisers.
Likewise, the merchandisers must surely be able to see the benefits of the change from the supermarket's point of view.
As with most employment disputes, the key to making effective change from here will likely come from compromise on both sides.
What form that takes remains to be seen, but it will depend on the willingness of those involved to engage in constructive dialogue, to find a solution suitable to all parties.
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