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Co-op report vindicates Usdaw’s campaign
13 October 2003
Almost 50 stores were subject to armed robberies last year at Co-op shops and there was a 39 per cent increase in the number of physical attacks on staff, a new report has shown.
The hard hitting report from the Co-operative movement paints a stark picture of retail life in the convenience sector with 698 staff attacked in 2002. Guns were used in one in four of the 214 armed robberies. There was also more than 25,000 incidents of abuse reported in 2002.
Co-op Group chief executive Martin Beaumont described the report - Retail Crime: Breaking the Hearts of Communities - as 'shocking' and 'disturbing'. He criticised the Home Office and the police for not doing enough to reduce retail crime.
Mr Beaumont has backed Usdaw's call for retail crime to be made a Key Police Performance Indicator, a measure which would give staff and employers more protection.
Deputy General Secretary John Hannett commended the Co-op for producing the report and for being so supportive of the union's Freedom From Fear campaign. "This report tells us how dangerous life can be in retail," he said. "We will continue to work with the Co-op to improve safety in store and to protect our members."
For more information visit www.co-op.co.uk
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