Fighting Against Self-Checkout

I've noticed an unpleasant trend in our local Loblaws recently. Several cashier lanes have been removed and replaced by rows of self-checkout machines. Personally, I can't stand them. I don't mind checking my own books out of the library (although my wife, an ex-librarian, makes the case that it's a bad thing there too), but it's pretty clear in the case of Loblaws that they're doing it to cut labour costs as far as they can by moving them onto the backs of the consumer. And I don't like it. Why should I do their work for them, with no direct benefit to me?

Now the trend has spread to Shoppers Drug Mart stores, which are owned by Loblaws. The staff there have been pressured to move customers to the self-checkouts, and the staff don't like it.

"I am feeling terrible," said the Shoppers cashier. "I am not comfortable with pushing people to do something they don't want to do."

Workers at her store recently received a directive from head office to pull out all the stops to get more customers using the machines, she said, including leading them directly to self-checkout when they're ready to pay. 

The cashier said she suspects the company's goal is to get customers used to the technology so it can cut cashier jobs.

I should also note, as a friend pointed out, that self-checkouts can be hard to use for people with mobility issues and people who aren't technologically sophisticated.