Calls for better protection of shop workers on the Yorkshire Coast
There are calls for better protection of shop workers on the Yorkshire Coast following an increase in abuse and assaults according to Usdaw.
There are calls for better protection of shop workers on the Yorkshire Coast.
It comes from Usdaw who say there has been an increase in staff being abused or assaulted during the pandemic.
The retail union is urging people to respect shop workers and to abide by the Government rules.
Jayne Allport, the area organiser here, said:
"One woman tried to explain to two men that the store policy was one shopper per trolley and both men got very aggressive and argumentative. She ended up being off work with work-related stress for over a week and when she returned, she hasn't been able to work in a customer facing area since.
"We've had customers who've just totally disregarded the two metre rule, when staff are filling the shelves they're reaching over the top of them, they go up talking to them, they prod them and go very near to them, they lose their temper when stock isn't available and there aren't things on the shelves.
"One of the stores in Bridlington there's been real concern because a customer's licking their fingers before they get notes out of their purse or wallet and when they've handed it over, they say 'I'm sorry, I can't take those because you've licked your fingers first,' and they've got so abusive.
"Unlike NHS workers with proper graded PPE, our members don't have that. It's basic PPE and they're relying on customers following the Government guidelines, and just remember that they're just doing their job and they're putting themselves and their families at risk every day.
"What we want the Government to do is introduce legislation to support key workers and where they have been victims of abuse to make that specific offence. In Scotland they've introduced it and we should be introducing it in England as well.
Jayne adds that there have been concerns about an increase in tourists on the Yorkshire Coast:
"The number of shoppers in the stores increased and people became a lot more relaxed about following the guidelines, and we did see an increase in the infection rates in coastal towns and a lot of our members are concerned that with the relaxation of the rules coming up, that the same thing is going to happen."