Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has admitted its delivery drivers are forced to drive their vans without air conditioning - even during the heatwave. The retailer responded on Twitter after people were concerned for online delivery drivers' welfare as temperatures soared into the late thirties.
Shoppers expressed their concerns on the social media platform. Responding to a tweet mocking delivery firm Evri, @MissusMalarkey tweeted:" I asked my @sainsburys delivery driver if he'd like some water or ice for his water bottle but he politely declined. He was so red in the face, I was worried for him (apparently they don't have aircon as they've been told it adds weight and means less room for shopping)."
Sainsbury's replied: "Hey Jojo, I'm sorry about this. Our online vehicles don't have air conditioning in the cabs. We have processes in place for our drivers during extreme weather. Thanks. Holly."
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Elsewhere, @Zara19 tweeted: "Sainsbury's have taken air-con out of their delivery vans because of the weight of them. Drivers shouldn't be working during a #heatwave @sainsburys."
Sainsbury's replied: "Hi Zara. We are introducing additional measures for our colleagues’ safety and comfort during the hot weather, including more frequent breaks, access to cold drinks and relaxing the dress code. Angela."
@chrisgllovell tweeted: "Have I seriously just seen Sainsburys tweet that their delivery vehicles don't have air conditioning in their vans as it takes up space ih the back for product? That's insane."
@_DanJbh replied: "Should be mandatory to have air conditioning in the vans." @georgevasilop @georgevasilop said: "That said, I literally cannot believe delivery vans in 2022, particularly those in use in congested urban areas, were deliberately ordered without a/c in the cab—an overheated driver is a distracted, irritable driver, so not even a luxury but a safety feature…"
@tcnixx tweeted: "@sainsburys don’t provide aircon in their delivery vans, prioritising more room for orders over their employees’ health and safety. Absolute disgrace."
A Sainsbury's spokesperson told Manchester Evening News : "Safety is our highest priority. We closely monitored the situation and introduced additional measures for our drivers’ safety and comfort, including more frequent breaks, access to cold drinks and relaxing our dress code."
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