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Usdaw urges shoppers to follow advice and help keep shops safe

Date: 14 April 2020 Shopworkers trade union leader Paddy Lillis is calling on the public to take special care to follow guidance from the Government and employers when making essential shopping trips.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Shopworkers and their colleagues in the retail food supply chain are on the frontline of feeding the country during the current crisis. They are providing an essential service in very difficult circumstances, working long hours in busy stores, facing abuse from customers and of course concerned they may contract Covid-19.
 
“The safety of our members is absolutely paramount, but they tell us that some of the shopping public are resisting social distancing measures in stores and can become abusive when asked to queue and maintain a two-metre gap. Our message to the public is there is no excuse for abusing shopworkers, please treat our members with the respect they deserve.
 
“Shops are the cornerstone of our communities, but they can only operate with staff, who clearly do not have the option to work from home. We continue to work with retailers to improve health and safety for staff, particularly those dealing directly with the public. We also call on customers to stay calm, respect shopworkers and practise the necessary hygiene measures to help limit the spread of the virus. We all have to work together to get through this crisis.”
 
Usdaw is urging customers to please help retail workers by:
  • treating shopworkers with courtesy & respect
  • washing your hands before shopping and using any sanitising facility provided in the store entrance
  • only buying what you need in as few visits as possible
  • maintaining physical distance, following in-store safety measures
  • avoid using cash and pay by card or with contactless, whenever you can
  • shopping alone and not in family groups, wherever possible
  • not going to the shops first thing in the morning unless absolutely necessary, there is plenty of stock throughout the day.
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 400,000 members. Membership has increased by more than one-third over the last couple of decades. 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

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The official website of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers