John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says: “As the retail Union, Usdaw is deeply concerned about the safety of frontline retail staff. Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear Campaign highlights the violence, threats, intimidation and abuse that retail workers suffer while carrying out their day-to-day work.

“We know from our members that simply asking for ID on an age-restricted sale can be a flashpoint for violence or abuse from customers. As Challenge 25 is a legal requirement in Scotland, retail workers are put in a particularly complex situation. By not asking for ID, retail workers leave themselves open to legal action, but are aware that they are likely to be subject to threats and possibly violence when they do.

“Usdaw remains steadfast in our commitment to member safety, and highlighting that abuse is not part of the job.”

Stewart Forrest – Usdaw’s Scottish Divisional Officer says: “Abuse and violence against public-facing workers is a serious problem, so our members welcome this proposed Bill and we are grateful to Daniel Johnson for promoting it.

“In many instances, our members are being asked to proactively enforce the law whilst going about their work, with serious consequences if they fail to do so. We therefore believe that there needs to be clear and serious consequences for those who abuse or assault our members.

“Usdaw has long called for additional, clear legal protection for our members whilst they go about their work. The measures being consulted upon would achieve this aim and we support their introduction. We hope that all parties in the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government listen to our members and support this Bill.”

Voices from the frontline: Members have reported that there are many triggers for abuse and violence from customers. Below are some responses from the 2017 survey, which focus on the issues around the sale of age-restricted products:

• “Customers extremely rude if I use Challenge 25 and they have no ID, then I have to refuse sale. “
• “Age-related sales with no ID, started using foul language and threatened to come back.”
• “Refused sale of alcohol as he was under the influence.  He told me I was a f**king bitch and to watch my back, as he was going to get me.”
• “Most threats come from drunk persons who I am refusing alcohol to.  Abuse tends to come from people who I am refusing sale due to age-related concerns.”
• “Asked for ID and the customer did not have any with them, proceeded to get verbal abuse from both the customer and his wife.”
• “Often this involves asking people for ID.  People fail to realise that if a group of young people approach the till together then they ALL need ID, not just the person who is handing over the money.  Also, although we would not normally ask people's children for ID when the adult is buying tobacco or alcohol, this is required if they borrow money from their children due to forgotten purses etc, as this means the children are effectively the purchaser.”
• “At times I get verbally abused if I ID a customer and if they don't have the correct ID, and I refuse the sale, they get abusive.”
• “Verbal abuse, threats for refusing sales of alcohol or age-restricted goods.  Incredibly rude and indignant because they feel they are in the right regardless of if they are or not.”
• “Received abuse from customers for not giving them alcohol/cigarettes because of no ID. School kids shoplifting.”
• “We get abuse from customers about the Think 25 Policy.  I have had many people call me the c word or the b word – it won't be long before somebody will physically hurt one of us in the shop.”

Usdaw's Annual Survey of Violence and Abuse Against Retail Staff
 
Each year for over a decade, Usdaw has carried out a survey of the violence and abuse that retail staff experience.  This has been an important tool for understanding the real life experience of people on the frontline in the retail sector.
 
For the last three years, shop workers across the UK as a whole have reported a rise in experiencing abuse and threats while at work.  In 2015, 54% of respondents reported having suffered abuse in the last 12 months.  This has increased to 67% in 2017.  The number of respondents reporting that they had been threatened has also increased over the last three years.  In 2015, this was 30%, rising to 42% in 2017.
 
The responses for Scottish shop workers were well above the UK average.  In 2017, 74% of shop workers reported being verbally abused in the last 12 months, and 53% that they had been threatened in the last 12 months.  5% reported being assaulted over the last year, which is around 34 Scottish shop workers physically attacked every day.
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 28% over the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion