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National business crime week of action welcomed by Usdaw – police, retailers and shopworkers come together to promote #ShopKind

Date: 17 October 2022 Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed today’s (17 October) launch of a week of action that involves police forces engaging with local businesses, retailers and the community to raise awareness of business crime.
The weeklong initiative is organised by the National Business Crime Centre, which represents UK police forces, to work in partnership with the business community to tackle crimes against businesses. 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.
 
Usdaw will be launching their annual Respect for Shopworkers Week on Monday 14 November, when the union releases interim statistics from their annual survey of violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers. Usdaw’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.
 
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “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.
 
“Violence and abuse are not an acceptable part of the job and too many shopworkers suffer all too often. We need better co-ordination to ensure that retail employers, police and the courts work together to make stores safer and give staff the support and confidence they need. This week of action is a great step towards that aim.”
 
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.
 
The National Business Crime Centre (NBCC): https://nbcc.police.uk
 
#ShopKind is Home Office funded and a retail-industry backed campaign that aims to: raise awareness about the levels of violence and abuse against shopworkers, encourage positive behaviour in shops and acknowledges the essential role of shopworkers in serving the public.
 
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
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion

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