 |
Network Journal 2005 Issue 3 |
 |
Respect Day puts staff safety centre stage
Respect for Shopworkers Day, part of the Freedom From Fear campaign and now in its third year, continued to raise awareness of the violence and abuse faced by the UK’s retail staff.
More than 30 Labour MPs visited stores around the country to give their support to Respect for Shopworkers Day, and activists and officials organised dozens of stalls in town centres and in-store displays.
If you would like to invite your MP to visit your store to talk about the problems of violence and abuse that you face, you don't have to wait for the next Respect Day.
Just call your MP's office on 0207 219 3000 to make arrangements or call Usdaw's Political Office on 0161 224 2804 for more advice.
Activist Mansong Dambell was delighted with the results of inviting local MP Kate Hoey to his Boots store in Brixton.
"Kate was very impressed with the campaign and with the evidence of the problems that shopworkers face here," he said. "She has now written to David Blunkett at the department for work and pensions, urging him to improve respect and safety in the workplace.
"The staff here have to deal with abuse, insults, hassle - you name it, it happens here. It's very upsetting when we are just trying to help the customers.
"I'm really pleased that we have been able to help to get more action taken. We are now going to get the local police to visit the store to talk to us about long-term solutions. Kate recommended that I should stand for the local council to encourage it to do more, and I think I will do that.
"Most of all, the whole campaign has made me and the other staff so proud to be Usdaw members.
"We have shown that we are a union that stands up for shopworkers, and since that day, we have recruited more people who weren't sure whether to join before we held our respect day."
 Printer Friendly Page  Email to a Friend
|
