Usdaw joins innovative partnership to stop ‘epidemic’ of violence against shopworkers across Nottinghamshire

Retail union Usdaw has pledged its support for a series of free workshops to help small businesses and shopworkers work free from physical violence and verbal intimidation across Nottinghamshire.

Usdaw has been running a hugely successful Freedom From Fear campaign designed to reduce the 20,000 physical assaults on shopworkers in the UK and is an enthusiastic supporter of partnerships to deter violent offenders across the county.

The union has joined with other agencies including Nottinghamshire Police, local councils and the Health and Safety Executive to offer six free workshops across the county offering practical advice to small businesses and their employees.

“We’re delighted to get involved in this groundbreaking initiative because there is an epidemic of violence being aimed at shopworkers," said Usdaw Deputy Divisional Officer Ron Hemming. “Shop staff across the county face daily physical and verbal abuse so we are very keen to create sustainable partnerships with other agencies to reduce this unacceptable threat to shopworkers.

“We’ve been pioneers of multi-agency working so these open workshops will bring together expertise from a number of different groups and we’ve found that people talking to each other and sharing experiences is highly effective in passing on the best methods to defeat mindless thugs.

“The cost of business crime to every store is around £8,000 but we see every day the human cost. Smashed faces and smashed lives with our members trying to rebuild their lives after cowardly attacks on them just for doing their jobs.”

The workshops will focus on key areas like personal safety, employee/employer responsibilities, physical security measures to reduce the risk of crime and a testimony from a small businessman who defeated robbers after suffering from six burglaries in 12 months.

“Usdaw will be making sure the voice of shopworkers who are on the front-line is heard but we believe that improving security can be done cheaply but very effectively,” Ron Hemming said. “With verbal abuse up 35% this year the stress of being sworn at in your workplace is immense so we’ll be looking at helping our members make sure they are properly protected in their stores.

“This is a problem that can only be solved by every stakeholder in retail working together reminding customers that verbally abusing a shopworker is always wrong and that we all have a zero tolerance stance on physical abuse.”

Notes to Editors:

Dates and venues for future seminars are:

22 May – Pine Lodge Hotel, Mansfield (Mansfield D.C.)
23 May – Dakota Hotel, Annesley (Ashfield D.C.)
5 June – Richard Herrod Leisure Centre, Foxhill Rd, (Gedling B.C.)
6 June – Touch Base, Phoenix Centre, Millennium Way, Nottingham (Broxtowe B.C.)
12 June – The Bearings, Bowbridge, Newark (Newark & Sherwood D.C.)
13 June – Town Hall, Potter Street, Worksop (Bassetlaw D.C.)
20 June – Notts County Football Club (Rushcliffe B.C.)
21 June – Notts County Football Club (Nottingham City Council)

• Contacts for newsdesks: Usdaw’s Media Officer, Paul Clarke, can be contacted on 0161 249 2469 or e-mail paul.clarke@usdaw.org.uk.
• Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK’s fifth biggest trade union, with over 340,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
• More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.
• Journalists can subscribe to receive Usdaw news releases via our online e-news service.

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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