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Arena Magazine 2005 Issue 6 November December |
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Alarming rise in shop attacks
Violence against shopworkers went up by 14 per cent in 2004, a new survey by employers group the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed.
These are the worst figures for over a decade with verbal abuse up by a staggering 35 per cent. Behind the figures lie a disturbing catalogue of bruised and battered shopworkers, many of whom leave the sector permanently.
"These figures are very disturbing as it seems a small section of criminals and irresponsible consumers think shopworkers can be treated as physical and verbal punchbags," said general secretary John Hannett.
"Our Freedom From Fear campaign, designed to combat these problems, remains a vital part of our efforts to keep staff safe at work.
"Our members can rest assured we will campaign for tougher measures, including the increased use of ASBOs and tougher sentencing, to protect them from thugs.
"Our own research shows shoplifting and refusing to serve underage drinkers are flashpoints for violent incidents in stores.
"We are also enthusiastic supporters of the Government's respect agenda, as the BRC are right to say our society has lost a sense of treating shopworkers decently. Our members have a right to go to work without the daily terror of being attacked or verbally abused.
"Our message to frustrated shoppers who think it's ok to scream at and threaten shop staff is simple: There is no excuse for any shopper to verbally or physically abuse a shopworker.
"The figures for violence and verbal abuse may be the highest for a decade but there is a lot of good work being done to address this problem.
"We will not rest until we significantly reduce the levels of abuse our members have to endure on a daily basis. We aim to make Freedom From Fear a reality rather than an aspiration."
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