A business advocate says dairy workers around the country will be "fearing for their life" after the fatal stabbing in Auckland on Wednesday evening.
A manhunt is underway for an offender who entered the Sandringham Rose Cottage Superette just after 8pm armed with a knife. The offender stabbed the worker and took the cash register.
The worker suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital where he died a short time later.
Dairy and Business Association chair Sunny Kaushal told AM on Thursday he is "very sad" over the stabbing.
"This incident has left us numb with sadness. It's quite shocking, very horrific," Kaushal told AM co-host Ryan Bridge.
Kaushal said fellow dairy workers will be scared when they go to work on Thursday.
"They would be fearing for their life everywhere. We were thinking this would happen and the worst has happened and it's just not good. The family of this young fellow would be looking for answers," Kaushal told AM.
Kaushal told AM he and the Dairy and Business Owners' Group have been warning the Government an incident like this would happen for a long time.
"We saw this would happen. This was the worst fear and last night it has happened," he said.
"We have been warning the Government and the authorities for a long time that this is coming and no action is taken and the Government has not taken any action."
Former Dairy Owner Shobhana Ranchhodjr said a constant fear of crime is what drove her out of the industry.
Ranchhodjr told Newshub the Sandringham Rose Cottage Superette is her local dairy.
"The family is our dairy owner. They are there for a quick chat. If we run out, that's our saviour, that's our saviour shop," Ranchhodjr said.
Ranchhodjr wants to see victims of tragedies like this get as much support as offenders do.
"We always see the offenders get so much support, that these families have come from this or they are mistreated or whatever it may be," she said.
"But how about us that have been left behind? How about the children that are left behind? We were the lucky ones that we got out of the business… this brought our family together. But this is going to destroy this family."
Kaushal said his group will be looking at a fundraising effort for those closest to the dairy worker.
"Our country has become lawless. Here, a law-abiding dairy worker killed for doing their job leaving us numb with shock. We hope the community will join with us to assist the friends and family of this victim in the most awful of circumstances."
Back in August, the Government passed a bill repealing the three strikes law, which automatically hands maximum sentences to criminals who commit three serious crimes.
An evidence brief supplied by Corrections, Police and the Ministry of Justice found there was no substantial evidence on the effect of such a law, either domestically or overseas.
Kaushal said in the statement they are "beyond angry" at this "useless government".
"Last December, almost a year to the day, we warned repeal of three-strikes was a victory for lawlessness and disorder sending all the wrong signals. We warned someone would end up being seriously injured or killed," he said.
"We were promised a meeting with the Minister of Justice in June. Nothing has been arranged. The Police Minister met with us after being publicly shamed by Mike Hosking, something we thank Mr Hosking for. In more than the month since meeting, there's been zero reply."
Watch the full interview with Sunny Kaushal above.
