Bakers Delight is facing calls for another boycott after one of its franchisees allegedly refused to serve a trains union member.
Bakers Delight Greenwood Plaza in North Sydney has come under fire because of a train driver’s now-deleted one-star review claiming they were denied service on Thursday.
The review stated staff had ‘abused’ the train worker because of a planned three-day Rail, Tram, and Bus Union member strike that was called off at the last minute.
‘This store can get stuffed for any future business and I’ll be letting all train crew know,’ the person claiming to be a worker wrote.
Initially union representatives banned members from working Friday through to Sunday in a move that would have cost the state $50.7 million.
But at the 11th hour the NSW government agreed to run 24-hour trains this weekend with ‘intense bargaining’ for a long-term deal with the union to begin over the next two weeks.
Other union members were quick to post their own negative Google reviews for the location.
‘Discriminating public servants who legally fight for better conditions and refusing to serve. Not going there anymore,’ one man wrote.
Bakers Delight Greenwood Plaza in North Sydney has come under fire after an employee allegedly refused service to a Rail, Tram, and Bus Union member on Thursday
The union member claimed to have been refused service because of the city’s planned but since-cancelled three day strike which was cancelled at the 11th hour
Another said: ‘The discrimination and lack of customer service shown to paying customers is appalling.
‘You are not paid to give your opinion on matters you have no education about.’
More social media users pledged to join in on the boycott.
‘I’m boycotting the Bakers Delight next to North Sydney train station. They refused service to a train driver for being a union member. Disgraceful,’ one person wrote.
Another woman said: ‘I have boycotted Bakers Delight for the last 15 years since they underpaid me as a teenager. Terrible company.’
A third took a swipe at the owner of Bakers Delight.
‘That is disgraceful but unsurprising as Bakers Delight is owned by Roger Gillespie, a backer of the Advance Australia conservative lobby group that funded the No campaign,’ they added.
Calls to steer clear of Bakers Delight had previously been sparked by a revelation that its founder, Mr Gillespie, donated to Advance Australia (AA) during the Voice to Parliament Referendum.
The bakery boss donated $20,000 to the group and another $14,000 to the Liberal Party in late 2022 because he ‘backed the group due to its position on the (Voice) referendum’, he told the Australian Financial Review in February.
Bakers Delight founder Roger Gillespie had previously sparked a seperate boycott in February after it was revealed that he donated tens of thousands of dollars to the No campaign in 2022
Daily Mail Australia asked Sydneysiders how customers really felt about Mr Gillespie’s donations at the time.
Shakinah, in her 20s, said she Mr Gillespie should stay out of politics.
‘I feel like he should just stay out of it, it’s not his business,’ she said.
Luka, in her 20s, who used to work at Baker’s Delight, agreed.
‘I don’t want my bread to be political,’ the former employee said.
Others however, did not support any boycott against Bakers Delight over the actions of its founder or individual staff as the stores are mainly owned by franchisees.
There are more than 500 Bakers Delight’s across Australia and some argue individual owners should not have to lose business over a controversy they had no part in.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Bakers Delight for comment.
