Shopworkers’ trade union leader John Hannett has called on the Government to introduce legislation to provide an additional penalty for those who assault workers in the course of their duties.
This follows an Usdaw survey of shopworkers in which 80% of respondents said the law needs to change to give them better protection. Interim results of the survey also revealed that, over the last 12 months, over 60% of retail staff had been verbally abused (a rise of 25%), over 40% were threatened (up 38%) and 3% had been assaulted (a 25% increase). This to equates 265 attacks on shopworkers per day in the UK.
With the survey showing a significant increase in such incidents, Hannett – Usdaw’s General Secretary – said it was entirely reasonable that shopworkers asked the Government for greater protection.
The poll also found that one in five shopworkers who had been assaulted didn’t report the attack.
Hannett commented: “My message to shopworkers is do not suffer in silence, abuse is not a part of the job and if they report it we can help to sort it. Sometimes retail staff feel reporting an incident won’t make any difference, so stiffer sentences for those who assault workers, backed up by a properly funded police forces would give staff more confidence and be a strong response to a growing problem.”
Shopworkers were expected to enforce the law, he said, in preventing under-age purchases, refusing to sell alcohol to drunk customers or detaining shoplifters.
“Parliament has given shopworkers the duty to enforce the law, so Parliament should provide the necessary protection,” Hannett concluded.
The final results of the 2017 survey will be published in the New Year.
