Retail store staff face fortnightly abuse from shoppers

The trade union’s annual ‘Freedom from Fear’ survey found nearly two-thirds of shopworkers have been verbally abused at work, while 41% have been threatened by a customer.

Nearly 5% of staff have also been assaulted at work, amounting to approximately 400 incidents every day across all shopworkers.

The survey coincides with Usdaw’s annual Respect for Shopworkers Week, which seeks to prevent verbal abuse, threats and violent attacks against retail staff.

The campaign is supported by the Co-op’s food chief executive Jo Whitfield. The grocer launched its own Safer Colleagues, Safer Communities initiative last year, which found that violence in the retail sector is at its highest level since 2012, with 115 shopfloor colleagues physically attached on a daily basis.

Whitfield said: “Shopworkers across the UK should be able to go to work every day, safe in the knowledge that they will not be attacked, abused or made to feel unsafe. Sadly this is not a true reflection of what’s happening in stores up and down the country and I am here, on behalf of my Co-op colleagues, to support Usdaw as we stand together and say: enough is enough.

“Co-op research shows that store crime has reached intolerable levels. Whilst the retail industry is doing everything in its power to prevent attacks, five months on from the Home Office’s own call for evidence we are calling upon the government, along with law enforcers, to accelerate action to help us develop a strategy which can address this epidemic of violence. Systemic change is needed to address not just the symptoms, but the root cause. We cannot wait any longer.”

Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: “Violence, threats and abuse against workers continue to increase. The statistics are shocking and show that urgent action is required. Many UK workers are on the front line of dealing with the public and that can mean they end up on the wrong side of a verbal or physical assault.

“We have consistently demonstrated the full extent of violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers. Five months ago, we and the retail employers responded to the Home Office ‘call for evidence’ and with one voice when we jointly called for action to tackle this growing problem. So we were disappointed to hear on the final day of parliament that the government is still analysing the evidence received, has not yet published their response and is still considering next steps.

“This continued delay is extremely concerning for our members; Usdaw has been calling for action for many years. Even in the time since the Home Office ‘call for evidence’ closed, the Association of Convenience Stores has revealed that there have been an estimated 200,000 assaults and threats against retail and wholesale staff.

“Our message is clear: abuse is not a part of the job. We continue to call for stiffer penalties for those who assault shopworkers and the introduction of a simple standalone offence that is widely recognised and understood by the public, police, courts and most importantly criminals.”