Warning this story contains offensive language
A member of the public has confronted and threatened to "kill" a young Domino's delivery driver, leaving the worker shaken following the confrontation.
It comes as a union said they had seen an increase in attacks on hospitality workers.
The moment, which was filmed and sent to Newshub, shows a member of the public, who Newshub has identified as Dale Rees, approaching the young delivery driver.
Newshub was unable to ascertain what caused the confrontation.
Rees can be seen in the video putting both his hands on the workers' helmet outside the Domino's St Heliers store at around 5:35pm on Saturday, September 9.
While holding the helmet, Rees accuses the worker of "reckless" driving that "could’ve killed my family".
"Don't pull inside us, don't pull outside us, you put my kids f*****g lives in danger. I will f*****g kill you. I will kill you. I will kill you," Rees is heard saying while also shaking the worker's helmet.
At this point, another Domino's worker intervenes and tries to separate Rees and the delivery driver.
Rees walks towards the entrance of the Domino's store before turning back and targeting the worker again.
"Who's in charge here? Make sure he never rides a bike again. Never ride your bike again."
A Domino's worker ushers the delivery driver inside the store before Rees can be heard saying, "I will f*****g kill you".
A Domino's worker at the St Heliers store wouldn't comment on the incident when approached by Newshub but did say it was the first time something like this had happened.
Newshub contacted Rees a number of times but was unable to speak to him directly.
In a number of texts to Newshub, he claimed the delivery driver was driving erratically on an electric bike and almost crashed into his car on Tamaki Drive.
Rees denied that he threatened the man and said he apologised.
A Domino's spokesperson told Newshub a St Heliers store worker was "abused" when returning from a delivery.
"On the evening of Saturday, September 9 2023 a team member from Domino’s St Heliers was abused when returning from a delivery," the spokesperson said.
"We can confirm that despite feeling shaken up, this team member is physically okay."
The spokesperson said it's focused on the worker's wellbeing and is offering him counselling support.
"We have contacted New Zealand Police about this incident and encouraged the team member impacted to also do so. Any information should be provided to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111," the spokesperson said.
A police spokesperson told Newshub it's aware of the man "acting aggressively" towards the staff member.
"Police are aware of footage that was captured of the incident," the police spokesperson said.
"Police will be looking into what occurred and will be working to resolve this matter appropriately."
The incident didn't go down well with Unite, the union, which represents hospitality workers.
Unite's national secretary John Crocker told Newshub without having any context of the incident, the behaviour appears criminal.
"Grabbing the driver by his helmet and shaking could be assault. Threatening to kill could also be a criminal act," Crocker said, before adding it doesn't imply guilt, just his impression from viewing the footage.
Crocker slammed the behaviour saying it was "completely unacceptable" as there didn't appear to him to be any immediate threat to the man or anyone else.
It comes after a string of attacks against hospitality workers.
"We've seen an increase in the severity of assaults on hospitality staff this year, there was a stabbing in Burger King, a worker was shot in the face with a pellet gun at McDonald's, and there was a separate firearms incident at a different McDonald's. We've reached out to WorkSafe who were uninterested," Crocker said.
ACT deputy leader and candidate for Tamaki Brooke van Velden told Newshub that frontline workers are facing more frequent and more intense retail crimes.
Van Velden, whose office is right across the road from where the confrontation occurred, said the recent string of attacks against workers is not what New Zealand is about.
"Workers are being assaulted every day. Dairy owners and other small retailers are now putting themselves inside cages so criminals can’t get behind the counter," she told Newshub.
"This is not who we are as a country. Sadly, Labour's approach to crime has fostered a culture of lawlessness in New Zealand.
"People don’t feel safe walking the streets after dark."
