Automation can be both a blessing and a curse, but if you happen to work at a checkout counter at Pick n Pay you’ll be excused for going for the latter option.

Six self-service checkout counters have now been introduced at a PnP in Observatory, which has sparked fear that a nationwide roll-out will cost thousands their jobs.

The company itself is denying these claims, but even employees at the self-same branch aren’t buying it. Here’s Fin24:

“We are worried,” said a staff member who was helping shoppers negotiate the self-service counters.

Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the trade union federation did not trust Pick n Pay’s promises.

“In fact, we are suspicious,” said Pamla.

“We believe it wants to get rid of its workers. We don’t think it’s helpful in an economy that has collapsed – technically, we are in a recession – to be introducing mechanisms that threaten workers.”

Here’s the first pic that started doing the rounds on social media:

Strategy and corporate affairs group executive David North responded to some concerns in an emailed statement:

North did say that Pick n Pay was “always looking at new ways to help our customers by making their shopping trip easier and more convenient”, and was testing the self-service checkouts to see if they saved customers time at the till.

He said the self-service checkouts were an additional service that would not replace traditional checkouts and it would take six months to complete the trial and analyse the results before deciding whether the retailer wanted to introduce them in other stores.

Just wait until you’re shopping with the folks and you have to talk your dad through using some form of new technology. That right there is when the wheels come off…

[source:fin24]