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An age-old problem
01 December 2009
Usdaw won massive parliamentary support
when it took its campaign to Westminster to
highlight the dangers faced by shopworkers
when they sell age-restricted goods.
Usdaw's annual
Respect Week
which highlights
the levels of
customer abuse in
retail was in full
swing as Arena went to press. A
national event was held at
Westminster in October to draw
attention to the problems around
age-restricted goods. A mock shop
counter with all of the agerestricted
goods clearly shown
provided the backdrop for the
event.
General Secretary John Hannett
said: "We are delighted that so
many Labour MPs are supporting
our campaign including prime
minister Gordon Brown and
chancellor Alistair Darling.
"This exercise made the MPs
realise just how hard it is to tell the
age of a young person.
Shopworkers have to make that
on-the-spot judgement all the time.
Refusing to serve someone who is
underage is often a flashpoint for
abuse, both physical and verbal.
"On the other hand, if the
shopworker serves someone who
is underage, it's the shopworker
who is liable to an £80 fixed
penalty notice, with repeated
breaches incurring a court
appearance or a fine of up to £1,000.
"Usdaw wants the Government
to introduce a single, national
proof of age card, to make it easier
for workers to check the person's
age when needed.
"And we also want to see a
change in the law to make it an
offence for an underage person to
attempt to buy any age-restricted
product, not just alcohol, or for an
adult to proxy purchase any agerestricted
product."
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