Well said. Im Irish and it reminds me of the old signs in England that used to say No Dogs, No Blacks, No Irish. So this sort of attitude seems to be accepted once its coming from the top of one of the (as they see it) superior european nations. Someone needs to tell the Dutch that we are in the 21st century now cause to me they still think it the good old days of the Gouden Eeuw.

By langer | July 17, 2009 11:15 AM

"... prepared to work for such poor pay."

Yeah, you can say that, as if they have a choice. I would suggest the youths are forced to take these jobs because there is nothing else for them. (Same goes for America.)

Mr Pascoe has written something that needs to be said loud and clear. And he alludes to xenophobia and racism, but doesn't go deeper; he mentions neither the inherent systemic (covert) white privelege nor the Islamophobia. But that's another discussion.

By Jay Vos | July 17, 2009 8:21 PM

Good one, Robin! This paranoia and racism has to stop.

By Natasha | July 20, 2009 11:07 AM

This position of refusing Moroccans is inexcusable, there can be no justifiable explanation of outright racism - something does need to be done.

However on the pay issue, I disagree. I am 24 and from the UK, and spent my teenage years working as I needed and wanted the cash. I worked for as little as £2.50 per hour, and did not earn more than £4.50 per hour until I was 19 and worked in an office.

Retail pays badly, however if it didn't there wouldn't be jobs for young people. Without any qualifications or experience, it is very difficult to find a job. The only chance you have is the fact others aren't willing to work for the same money.

Is this right? Probably not, but please don't let "adults" destroy the opportunities available to the youth because they are worried about fairness - that just isn't fair.

By - | July 21, 2009 5:01 PM

Um, Hello? Food should be cheap. It is a necessity. Working in a grocery store is a rite of passage for hundreds of thousands of young people around the world. Putting cans on shelves is not exactly hard labor. Robin Pascoe made about five really dumb points just to make the only good point that racism is terrible wrong. Really bad editorial.

By Mark Williams | July 22, 2009 11:52 PM

Robin:

Three things: food should be cheap, it is a necessity of life.

Secondly, working in a grocery store is only viewed as hard labor by super-pampered Europeans. In the rest of the world (including the USA), it is considered an easy, standard, entry-level job for teenagers.

Lastly, calling teenagers "children" when referring to working conditions in one of the richest countries on Earth is inflammatory and silly. They are not 6 year olds picking trash in a third world country.

Racism is always wrong, but your circuitous path to that point includes a few way off the mark assumptions.

By Dahn | July 24, 2009 11:42 AM

Well said Mr Pascoe,

I have been deafened by the political, media and legal silence over the issue of not taking on more Moroccans in the To Go stores. Hasn't some law been broken here? Has a country well known the world over for its fairness and openness towards immigrants changed so fast in such a negative way? And why should Moroccans being singled out as being 'threatening'?

I have another issue about supermarkets, especially AH, I go crazy at the number of shelf fillers getting in the way of shoppers, they actually often out number the people who want to buy things. Why can't they stock their shelves earlier in the morning and later in the evening, out of opening hours. I can only conclude that they would have to pay more to their young staff for antisocial working hours.

I have also noticed that many stores, AH included, are reducing the number of probably more highly paid staff, at the kassa. My local and quite large chain drogisterij is now down to one person at the kassa, and that's on a Saturday. I have stopped using it and shop at smaller privately owned ones now. Even in a recession, service still wins.

(Editor's note it's Ms not Mr Pascoe!]

By Andrew | July 27, 2009 5:17 PM

I think AH should be taken to court. In this day and age, there can be no excuses for racism.

By NR | July 28, 2009 7:57 PM

I' totally agree with Dahn and Mark. I live in America and I paid my way through college in the 70s working as a sacker at a grocery store. I made $1.00/hr plus tips when I could get them (they get about $7-8/hr now). And this is in Texas where the heat is extreme in the summer. I was happy to have the job and my customers loved me. Let the teenagers work for whatever the market will bear. It's good for them and they really appreciate the money. And yeah, Europeans are spoiled rotten when it comes to work. The real deal isn't that the teens are getting paid rightly or wrongly (and they are being paid correctly, in my opinion), it's that Moroccans are being singled out. THAT'S racism, pure and simple and it's evil. Period.

By Elaine | July 29, 2009 2:31 AM

AH To Go stores are not regular grocery stores. The choice is limited and can be compared to a Kiosk on the railway station. As noted they are a division of Dutch Rail: the AH name and logo is misleading. They are not Albert Heijn stores, although they sell products that come from the Ahold (mother) company (how about finding out the connection between Ahold and NS?).

The Moroccan youth they talk about are are Dutch citizens with a double nationality and from Moroccan parents.
It is not racism (there is no Moroccan race) but 'normal' exclusion of certain groups for certain jobs. Not that this should be approved of, on the contrary, but (sh)it happens all over. Age discrimination (young or old), Gender discrimination (both sexes) etc. etc. etc.

By trainpassenger | July 29, 2009 6:19 PM