Union officials say Australian supermarket workers have found themselves at the front line of an angry consumer backlash over moves to ban single-use plastic bags, with a vocal minority abusing cashiers and one customer wrapping his hands around an employee�s throat.

Retail giants Woolworths and Coles announced last month new goals to reduce plastic products and packaging in response to customers wanting a greener shopping experience.

Their employees� union said Monday that some customers had reacted badly to free single-use bags being replaced.

The union says one customer took his anger over a lack of free plastic bags out on a staff member in the west coast city of Mandurah on June 22 � two days after the ban began. Woolworths says police have been contacted over the incident.

(AP)