One week to go to the first National Respect for Shopworkers Day

Wednesday September 17 looks set to be the most important day in years for the UK’s shopworkers as the nation’s shopping public is urged to show some respect to their local retail staff.

The National Respect for Shopworkers Day is the first of its kind and forms part of premier retail union Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear campaign, which aims to protect staff from violence and abuse. More than 100 stalls are already planned for towns and cities across the UK to help publicise the issues.

Support for the campaign will be further boosted at the TUC tomorrow when Usdaw’s Deputy General Secretary John Hannett will address the conference. He will say: “Shopworkers have been threatened with baseball bats, hospitalised and assaulted. Thousands of working people, our members, your friends and relatives, have been traumatised by these ordeals.

“Violent attacks on shopworkers have increased by 75 per cent since 1999. Verbal abuse is happening every day in more than a third of the UK’s shops.

“In 2002, 16,200 retail staff were assaulted, 48,600 were threatened and 70,000 were verbally abused. No-one should have to abandon their peace of mind when they go to work.

“Our campaign aims to raise these issues, to restore safety and keep shopworkers free from fear. The National Respect for Shopworkers Day will focus the minds of employers, shoppers, and shopworkers on this vital issue.”

• For more information on the campaign visit the Freedom From Fear section.

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