South Yorkshire shop workers insist they're still receiving abuse off customers 'every day'
New statistics from the Retail Union USDAW show that two in three employees have been threatened this year
Retail trade union Usdaw has today launched shocking statistics from their annual survey during the annual Respect for Shopworkers Week, 15-21 November. Interim results from nearly 3,500 retail staff show that in the last twelve months:
• 89% have experienced verbal abuse.
• 64% were threatened by a customer.
• 11% were assaulted.
• 46% said they were not confident that reporting abuse, threats and violence will make a difference.
• 7% of those who had been assaulted did not report the incident.
The annual Respect for Shopworkers Week runs from 15-21 November this year. During the campaign week Usdaw reps, activists and officials are raising awareness of the year-round Freedom from Fear Campaign, talking to the public at street stalls and in shops to promote a message of ‘respect for shopworkers’.
Usdaw is campaigning for a new protection of workers law, like the ground-breaking legislation that came into force in Scotland in August this year. The union continues to call on the Government to extend those protections to shopworkers across the rest of the UK.
Two amendments have been tabled in the House of Lords to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, by Labour shadow minister Lord Coaker and Conservative backbencher Baroness Neville-Rolfe. Usdaw is urging Peers to support the amendments at the forthcoming committee stage of the Bill.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “It is shocking that 9 in 10 of our members working in retail are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. So, it is extremely worrying that over half are not confident that reporting these issues will make any difference.
“The new protection of workers law in Scotland is welcome and we urge the UK Government to extend it to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Retail staff across the UK have a crucial role in our communities and that role must be valued and respected, they deserve the protection of the law.
“This is a hugely important issue for our members and they are saying loud and clear that enough is enough. The alarm bells are ringing and it is time for the Government to make a difference. They can act quickly by supporting the Lords protection of workers amendments to their flagship policing bill.”
Meanwhile, shopworkers across South Yorkshire insist they're still getting verbally abused by customers 'every single day'.
Jayne Trueman works at a supermarket in Wath-Upon-Dearne and says she's fed up with the daily threats she receives:
"I'm still a human being like a Policeman or a Doctor or a nurse. We should still have the same rights as everybody else. If we're going to report this abuse, action should be taken.
"I'm not convinced reporting what goes off will make any difference. Nothing seems to be changing, and we're all fed up of this."