Usdaw has published shocking interim statistics from their annual survey of over 4,600 retail staff, which show that in the last twelve months (pre-pandemic levels in brackets, from the 2019 survey):
- 71% (67%) have experienced verbal abuse.
- 48% (42%) were threatened by a customer.
- 5% (5%) were assaulted.
- 45% said they were not confident that reporting abuse, threats and violence will make a difference.
- 20% of those who had been assaulted did not report the incident.
Northern Irish voices from the frontline: These are some of the comments Northern Irish shopworkers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:
- “I asked a customer for ID and he spat on me and told me to f*** off - another incident in which i asked for ID and a customer told me I should die.”
- “Sexual assault, grab by customer tried to kiss and getting in personal space.”
- “Customer threw a bar of chocolate in my face; another was verbally abusive to me.”
- “Teenager shouting abuse at me and other staff at tills. Said he would be back.”
- “Usual abuse is because of price changes, lack of stock or not enough staff on the floor.”
- “Customer swearing at me as they didn't like my answer to their questions ‘you're a f**king idiot’.”
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “It is heart-breaking to hear these testimonies from Northern Irish shopworkers who deserve far more respect than they receive. Our latest survey results clearly show the scale of the appalling violence, threats and abuse faced by shopworkers.
“Usdaw, with the support of many retailers, has won new legislation to protect shop workers from violence, threats and abuse in Scotland, Wales and England. Although this is a positive development in our campaign, it is extremely disappointing that retail workers in Northern Ireland are not covered.
“All retail workers deserve legal protection from abuse, threats and violence. Effective legislation must be passed in Northern Ireland to protect retail workers and make it clear abuse is not part of the job. Usdaw is calling on the ICTU to campaign for a Northern Ireland Government to take action and implement effective legislation which protects retail workers against abuse, threats and violence.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.
Interim results of the Usdaw’s 2022 survey, based on 4,676 responses, show that (last year’s results in brackets): 71.21% (89%) were verbally abused, 48.12% (64%) were threatened. 15% shopworkers had been assaulted during their career. 5.13% (11%) had been assaulted this year. Asked “On a scale of 1-10 how confident are you that reporting abuse, threats and violence will make a difference” 45.28% scored less than five out of ten. 20% of those who’d been assaulted didn’t report it. The final results of the survey will be published in 2023.
| Comparison |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
| Abuse |
67% |
88% |
89% |
71% |
| Threats |
42% |
61% |
63% |
48% |
| Violence |
5% |
9% |
12% |
5% |
Usdaw’s Freedom from Fear Campaign seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse against workers by engaging the public, shopworkers and the Government.
www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Freedom-From-Fear
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 – part 7 – chapter 3 - Assaults on those providing a public service etc: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/32/part/7/chapter/3/enacted
Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/6
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
@UsdawUnion