World News – AU – Gerry Harvey under attack after his company asked for FREE workers

November 26, 2020

Posted: 00:31 GMT, Jan. November 2020 | Updated: 12:42 AM GMT, Jan. November 2020

Outraged Australians have urged shoppers to boycott retail giant Harvey Norman after an education store affiliated with billionaire co-owner Gerry Harvey recruited volunteers

The School Locker – a joint venture of Mr Harvey and a former colleague – asked for “volunteer parents” to help families do uniform shopping during back of school

The ad was published in the November newsletter for Hobart’s Clarence High School and offered volunteers a voucher for a business in exchange for their work

The call, however, was criticized by buyers, who indicated that Harvey Norman had made 160 percent profits between July and October – of 131 million USD to 341 million USD

Australian billionaire businessman Gerry Harvey has come under fire after an ad from one of his retailers asked for volunteers

The free volunteer ad was posted in the November newsletter for Hobart’s Clarence High School

Tasmanian MP Brian Mitchell said the ad was “an abuse of the volunteer spirit of Australia” – arguing that the co-owner of The School Locker could afford to pay for his new hires

“The School Locker is a company owned by billionaire Gerry Harvey,” wrote the member for Lyon

The flyer offered free COVID safety training but required applicants to validate work with children

The School Locker also sells technology products, exercise equipment, musical instruments, and stationery, and has more than 100 locations across the country in universities, schools, and retail stores

“From the man who made huge profits during the pandemic, Gerry Harvey’s side business is promoting volunteers working in shops for no pay,” one person wrote on the social media platform

A The School Locker Store pictured The ad asked for “volunteer parents” to help families do uniform purchases during back-to-school

‘While people are struggling, how about we get them to work for free?’ another wrote sarcastically

At the start of the pandemic in March, Mr Harvey boasted how his Harvey Norman stores were trading boom despite the crisis

Mr. Harvey is the founder and CEO of Harvey Norman and a co-owner of The School Locker as a joint venture with the former Chief Information Officer of Harvey Norman, Kaine Escott

‘Our sales at Harvey Norman, Australia are up 9 percent year over year. Our freezer sales are up 300 percent. And what about air purifiers? Up to 100 percent ‘

In the chain’s most recent retail update, executives reported a 306 percent increase in sales between Jan. July and the 17th September

However, KEH Partnership Pty Ltd, trading as The School Locker, recorded a trading loss of $ 114 million in FY 2019 – an increased loss of $ 4,33 million in the previous year

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