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Booze law dangers for staff
23 December 2005
Usdaw is calling for tight security to protect shopworkers from drunks who might target supermarkets for more alcohol as stores apply for 24-hour drink licences.
The union is worried that supermarkets may become flashpoints as drunken revellers try to buy cheap alcohol in stores. Staff are legally obliged not to serve any customer they believe to be drunk. If they did they could face an on-the-spot fine of £80.
"Our primary concern is the safety of our members," said general secretary John Hannett. "We already know that refusing to sell alcohol to underage drinkers is a major factor in many of the 20,000 physical assaults on shopworkers in the UK. We will work hard to make sure that 24-hour licensing doesn't make the problem worse. We will work closely with supermarkets to make sure that adequate security is in place where stores have a 24-hour licence.
"We will be monitoring this situation very closely to see if our fears are realised. In the meantime we want our members to contact their local office if they think security is an issue in their store. Then we can raise it with management."
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