We use cookies to ensure that we can give you the best user experience. By continuing to use our website you are consenting to their use. Find out more.

What language do you need?

Government again rejects a new law to protect shopworkers from assault - Usdaw urges them to listen to staff and retailers

Date: 14 December 2020 Retail trade union Usdaw was disappointed to again hear a Government Minister reject a Bill to protect shop workers from violent attacks, a measure that is also supported by retail employers.
Responding today to questions from Daniel Zeichner MP (Labour, Cambridge) and Shadow Home Affairs Minister Bambos Charalambous MP (Labour, Enfield Southgate); Kit Malthouse (Minister of State for Crime and Policing) told the House of Commons that the Government didn’t “yet” see a case for a specific offence of assaulting a shopworker.
 
The Assaults on Retail Workers (Offences) Bill, promoted by Alex Norris MP (Labour/Co-op, Nottingham North) was timetabled for its second reading in the House of Commons in September. However the Government objected to it progressing and the Bill is now delayed until Friday 8 January 2021.
 
23 major British retailers and the sector’s leading industry bodies wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to provide effective legal protection for shopworkers in the face of increasing levels of abuse and violence and in support of Alex Norris’ Private Members Bill.
 
Shopworkers’ trade union leader Paddy Lillis launched a parliamentary petition to legislate to protect shopworkers, which now has over 90,000 signatures.
 
The petition can be signed at: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/328621
 
Paddy Lillis- Usdaw General Secretary says: “We continue to be disappointed by the Government’s response to our petition, offering little more than sympathy. Their objection to the Bill promoted by Alex Norris MP shows that we have to secure the 100,000 signatures needed to get the issue debated on the floor of the House of Commons.
 
“I urge the Government to listen to the voices of shopworkers and retailers by legislating for stiffer penalties for those who assault workers. Our members working in retail need Ministers to turn their words of sympathy into action by supporting the Bill to protect shopworkers and help it onto the Statute Book.
 
“When retailers and the trade union for shop workers jointly call for action, it is time for the Government to listen to our concerns and deliver much needed protection for staff. Abuse must never be just a part of the job.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 400,000 members. Membership has increased by more than one-third over the last couple of decades. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
Assaults on Retail Workers (Offences) Bill 2019-21:
https://services.parliament.uk/Bills/2019-21/assaultsonretailworkersoffences.html
 
Interim results of the Usdaw’s 2020 survey, based on 2,317 responses, show that in 2020 so far: 85.49% were verbally abused, 56.87% were threatened. 16.27% shopworkers had been assaulted during their career. 8.59% had been assaulted this year. The final results of the survey will be published in the New Year. Responses to the question - In your experience during the coronavirus emergency are incidents of work related violence and abuse…much worse 39.63%, worse 36.41%, the same 17.24%, not as bad 4.42%, much fewer 2.3%.
 
23 retailers and industry bodies urge PM to act on violence and abuse against shopworkers: ACS, Aldi, Asda, BIRA, Boots, BRC, Central England Co-op, Co-op, Dixons Carphone, Homebase, Lidl GB, Marks and Spencer, Mid Counties Co-operative, McColl’s, Morrisons, Nationwide, NISA, NFRN, Sainsbury’s, Southern Co-op, Street Works UK, Tesco and WH Smith https://www.co-operative.coop/media/news-releases/leading-retail-ceos-and-industry-bodies-urge-pm-to-act-on-violence-and-abuse
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion

Share this page

Free prize draw

Enter our free prize draw to win a £100 Love2Shop Gift Voucher courtesy of Usdaw Protect.

The official website of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers