Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “The safety of our members and the public is our top priority, so Usdaw worked with the British Retail Consortium on joint safety guidance for shops. Retailers have to publish risk assessments and implement robust safety measures before they reopen and we urge employers to work with the union to ensure their staff have a proper say in that process.

“Importantly shops should not be allowed to remain open if retailers do not follow the guidance and operate safely. We will continually monitor the situation and support our members as they return to work.

“However, safety in stores needs customer co-operation and I am shocked that abuse of shopworkers has doubled during the Coronavirus emergency. It is a disgrace that a minority behave this way, at a time when we should be pulling together to get through this appalling pandemic. At no time should abuse be a part of the job. Shopworkers deserve respect.”

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