The online advert seeking cleaners for a Hobart shopping centre, posted at the weekend, read: “Store requires no indians or asians please. MUST SPEAK ENGLISH (sic)”, The Mercury reported.
The job ad was later removed from the site after people posted outraged comments on social media sites.
A Coles supermarket spokesman admitted that the advert was posted by a contract company used to clean its store in Rosny, Hobart.
A spokesman told The Mercury: “The ad was placed without Coles’ knowledge and we were extremely concerned to learn of the ad and its contents.”
Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks said she wanted to pursue possible legal action with regard to the cleaning company.
She added that Gumtree, which published the ad, could also have broken the law by running it.
“Gumtree is probably in breach [of the law] as well because [the law] says you can’t publish, display, etcetera, material that is discriminatory,” Ms Banks told The Mercury.
Image: Gumtree
