National Business Crime Centre, which represents UK police forces, has launched a week of action that will see officers engaging with local businesses, retailers and the community to raise awareness of business crime.
At the heart of the action week is the #ShopKind campaign, which urges the public to be mindful of shopworkers’ essential role serving the public and emphasises that workers should be treated with respect, kindness and gratitude.
In response, Usdaw General Secretary Paddy Lillis, said: “We very much welcome the work of the National Business Crime Centre and the co-ordination they do to bring police forces, retailers, shopworkers and communities together to promote the ‘#ShopKind’ message. There is no doubt that crimes against businesses are a main trigger for violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers.
“Usdaw is clear that attacks on retail workers ruin lives. Just the other week, we were informed of one of our members being stabbed in the eye with a screwdriver, simply as a result of protecting one of their colleagues from being abused by a customer.”
Usdaw will be launching its annual Respect for Shopworkers Week on 13 November. The union’s campaign week is part of the union’s year round Freedom from Fear campaign and will see thousands of activists running respect events in their workplaces and communities.
