Shop workers demand Xmas muzak compensation

ananova ^ | 11:23 Wednesday 3rd December 2003 | no byline

[weegee]

Shop workers in Austria are demanding compensation for the "psychological terror" of being subjected to hours of piped Christmas music. A study by trade union leaders found that listening to endless hours of Silent Night and Jingle Bells made shop staff "aggressive and confrontational".

Austrian Trade Union Federation spokesman Gottfried Rieser said: "By the time Christmas comes around there are large scores of abused shop workers who hate the very idea of it. "They cannot bear to listen to Christmas songs and completely lose their temper at the slightest mention of anything to do with Christmas."

Union lawyers had been instructed to see whether legal action can be taken to stop stores constantly playing Christmas jingles, but it appeared there was little they could do. But he added the unions were now calling on employers to voluntarily introduce a code of practice where Christmas music was limited to a few hours a day in peak shopping hours.

Mr Rieser said: "This is psychological terror for shop workers. I know personally of cases where people have suffered psychological problems in the period leading up to Christmas and become aggressive and confrontational." Rieser said Christmas music should only being played between 3pm and 4pm and only in certain departments. He said: "There's no point playing Christmas jingles in a section selling sausages. It should only be played where Christmas presents are for sale."

But Franz Penz, from the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, said the union ideas were not practical as stores could not vary the music in different departments.

[stainlessbanner]

Austrian Trade Union Federation spokesman (and Chief Grinch), Gottfried Rieser

[Onelifetogive]

You really do have to make assumptions to rachet this up to the level of an anti-Islamic message.

He should open HIS OWN store and do just that!!!

And let other store owners decide for themselves...

[Jim Cane]

psychological terror? aggressive and confrontational? Have they tried living in an islamic country? The world is mad.

[ysoitanly]

Words (almost) fail me. ACLU Europe is on its way. Remember, it's not even Christmas, it's the 'holiday'.

[Servant of the 9]

Anyone interested in a class action suit against Muzak here in the Us?

So9

[Onelifetogive]

Rieser said Christmas music should only being played between 3pm and 4pm and only in certain departments.

He should open HIS OWN store and do just that...

And leave other store owners alone...

[nuconvert]

LOl !

[Agnes Heep]

Terms like "psychological terror" mock the millions of people who have experienced true terror in the past century.

[Jim Cane]

Plus, muzak is anything but aggressive. Those cheesy
arraingments for the 1001 Queasy Strings Orchestra are
pure Sominex.

[nuconvert]

"There's no point playing Christmas jingles in a section selling sausages."

LOL! ( note to self - possible tag line)

[Orangedog]

I know that usually by December 20th I've heard "White Christmas" so many times that I'm tempted to find a can of gasoline and a match in the middle of Target.

[nuconvert]

Oh, what the heck

[CharacterCounts]

Terms like "psychological terror" mock the millions of people who have experienced true terror in the past century.

Especially since a few hundred Euros in there memebrs paychecks would completely eliminate the psychological problems experienced.

[.cnI redruM]

They've been Manheim Steamrollered!

[Jim Cane]

"There's no point playing Christmas jingles in a section selling sausages."

A lot of sausage makers play in the brass section.

[Stopislamnow]

Heh, I merchandise for a living.

Christmas Muzak is a tool of the anti-christ.

[Spok]

There's nothing wrong in Europe that another war wouldn't remedy-it's long overdue. Yes, it's time for the Huns and Gauls to have at it again, and this time I think we should just stand back and watch.

[sweetliberty]

"Anyone interested in a class action suit against Muzak here in the Us?"

Make that against Wal-Mart, and I'm in. The horrible, ear-splitting, nerve-grating renditions of traditional Christmas songs they inflict on their patrons is enough to drive me out of the store on a good day.

[sweetliberty]

"There's nothing wrong in Europe that another war wouldn't remedy"

I have a better idea....let's donate the ACLU to Europe. Their gripes are addressed, we're shed of the most pro-communism organization to ever disgrace America....everybody's happy.