Retail trade union Usdaw has renewed a call for legislation to protect retail staff after they today released new statistics showing that 79% of shopworkers say abuse was worse last year.
The final results of Usdaw’s 2020 survey of 2,729 shopworkers across the UK found that 88% experienced verbal abuse,
60% were threatened by a customer,and
9% were assaulted.
Among evidence collected, one shop worker told the survey they asked a customer to join the back of a queue, got verbal abuse. She then returned to the store with a knife and said she was going cut me up.”
Late last year, the influential House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee launched an inquiry into the issue the day after Usdaw secured over 100,000 signatures on a ‘protect shopworkers’ petition. In January, the Scottish Parliament unanimously voted for a ground-breaking new law to protect shopworkers. In February, 66 senior retail leaders wrote to the Prime Minister urging the UK Government to create a new statutory offence of assaulting, threatening, or abusing a retail worker.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Our latest survey results clearly show the scale of the appalling violence, threats and abuse faced by shopworkers and demonstrate the need for a ‘protection of shopworkers’ law. It has been a terrible year for our members, with almost 90% of shopworkers suffering abuse, two-thirds threatened and nearly one in ten assaulted. We are saying loud and clear that enough is enough, abuse should never be part of the job.
“The UK Government has persistently opposed new legislation, offering little more than sympathy and objecting to the Alex Norris protection of shopworkers bill in the House of Commons. However, we had a great result for our members in Scotland, as MSPs voted through ground-breaking legislation to give shopworkers the protection they deserve. We are now looking for MPs to support key workers across the retail sector and help turn around the UK Government’s opposition.”
