Wiltshire retail staff share stories of physical and verbal abuse

Shop workers in Wiltshire have spoken of the verbal abuse and physical threats they've faced whilst working in the last year.

A survey by retail workers union Usdaw has revealed almost a fifth of shop workers suffered a violent attack in 2023.

It's comes amid what's been described as an epidemic of retail crime as official stats show theft from shops is on the rise.

Usdaw's survey shows that levels of violence, threats and abuse all increased compared to pre-pandemic figures. In the last twelve months (pre-pandemic levels in brackets, from the 2019 survey):

· 70% (68%) have experienced verbal abuse.

· 46% (43%) were threatened by a customer.

· 18% (5%) were assaulted.

Calls on the Government to deliver tougher laws

The survey gave members the chance to share their experiences with a Wiltshire respondent saying: “I've had people snatch items from me, try and intimidate me by not letting me move and shout at me.”

Another said: “Verbal abuse, swearing at me, name calling, threats to smash my face in, throw food at me, throw pots at me.”

The union's calling for stronger laws to be introduced to protect people working in shops.

Shop steward Barry Chalk said England needs to follow Scotland's lead.

"In Scotland they have abuse of shop workers as standalone offense. Why can't we have that in England?

"How hard would it be to say from the government to say being abusive to shop workers, be it verbal or physical, is not acceptable?

"And if you do it, and if you are caught doing it, and if you are charged for doing it, you will go to prison."

Violence will drain workforce

Mr Chalk told Greatest Hits Radio that staff will be driven out of the sector if they continue to feel unsafe.

"If people believe they can't go to work feeling safe, they'll go somewhere else to work," he said.

Mr Chalk added: "When you're supermarket shuts down because there's nobody to work in it. Where do you then go to shop? That's where we're going.

"We're driving the colleagues away from the business with the violence and the abuse that's taking place and that that that can't be allowed to continue."

Mr Chalk said no member of staff should go to work feeling scared and called the rise of violence against store staff is 'unacceptable'.

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