Australian supermarket chain Coles is in the center of a controversy after an advertisement for cleaners stating "Store requires no Indians and no Asians" was published online.
On Sunday, the racist job advertisement was posted on Gumtree website in the classified section seeking cleaners for a supermarket at Eastlands Shopping Centre in Hobart, The Mercury news reported.
"Store requires no Indians or Asians please. Must speak English (sic)," the advertisement read.
The advertisement also featured other requirements the store wants stating "Positions available for experienced cleaners in supermarket cleaning for night and/or morning work. Must be able to work unsupervised, to a timelimit and have an eye for detail. Must have own transport + licence and abn (Australian business number.)"
The advertisement went viral on social media sites and sparked outrage with people calling for a boycott against the store.
"Which supermarket is this so I can boycott them?" one Facebook user said.
"A case for the Anti-Discrimination Commission, surely," another user said.
Following the complaints the advertisement was immediately taken off the site.
Coles spokesman Jim Cooper said that the ad was posted by a sub-contractor who is not associated with the company now. "The ad was placed without the company's knowledge and we were extremely concerned to learn of the ad and its contents," Cooper told The Mercury.
"Coles is a proud, equal-opportunity employer and at no time have we ever issued the directives contained in this ad. We have made these points in no uncertain terms to the cleaning contractors in question," he added.
Meanwhile, Tasmania Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks said that she is investigating the advertisement because it seems to be a breach of law, ABC news reported.
She also said that she wanted to get hold of the sub-contractor who placed the advertisement to carry out legal action against him.
