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Voices from the frontline
Date: 09 November 2002
Voices from the frontline
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Usdaw, the trade union for shopworkers, is extremely concerned about the ever-increasing levels of violence and abuse that our members are reporting. In order to protect shopworkers from violence and abuse we launched a major campaign, Freedom from Fear, at our Retail Trades Conference in October 2002.
The Retail Trades Conference is attended by delegates who are lay members of the union, active as Usdaw reps in the stores where they work. They come from all the union's divisions across the country and are a truly representative cross-section of the union's 200,000 members who work in retail. They have direct first-hand experience of the problems and know the effects ofviolence and abuse on the members they represent. As part of the conference we asked them to complete a brief activists report to capture some of that knowledge and experience.
This report is based on what they had to say. These voices from the frontline give a powerful insight into the conditions that shopworkers face every day in shops of all sizes, from large supermarkets to convenience stores, and the way that workers are affected by this tide of violence and abuse. I believe that you cannot fail to be moved by some of the personal stories they have to tell.
But the report also offers some hope. There were many examples where Usdaw reps working with management had been able to make changes. These improvements have worked. They have helped to reduce the level of violence and abuse and to give some freedom from fear to the workers concerned. I was personally struck by the fact that the attitude and actions of management can make a massive difference to the levels of violence that members face and to their confidence to stand up against abuse.I believe that you cannot fail to be moved by some of the personal stories they have to tell. working closely with employers to develop policies and procedures to deal with the issue and put them into practice.
But it is not just an industrial issue. It should be a matter of major national and local government concern. Usdaw will be looking to draw together the retail industry, and local and national Government to develop partnerships and strategies to make our shops and town centres safer.
Together we can get the message across that violence and abuse of shopworkers, who provide a valuable community service, is not to be tolerated and can be prevented.
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