The weeklong initiative is organised by the National Business Crime Centre, which represents UK police forces, to work in partnership with the business community to tackle crimes against businesses. At the heart of the action week is the #ShopKind campaign, which urges the public to be mindful of shopworkers’ essential role serving the public and emphasises that workers should be treated with respect, kindness and gratitude.
Usdaw will be launching their annual Respect for Shopworkers Week on Monday 13 November, when the union releases interim statistics from their annual survey of violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers. Usdaw’s campaign week is part of the union’s year round Freedom from Fear campaign and will see thousands of activists running respect events in their workplaces and communities.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “We very much welcome the work of the National Business Crime Centre and the co-ordination they do to bring police forces, retailers, shopworkers and communities together to promote the ‘#ShopKind’ message. There is no doubt that crimes against businesses are a main trigger for violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers.
“Usdaw is clear that attacks on retail workers ruin lives. Just the other week, we were informed of one of our members being stabbed in the eye with a screwdriver, simply as a result of protecting one of their colleagues from being abused by a customer.
“Violence and abuse are not an acceptable part of the job and too many shopworkers suffer all too often. We need better co-ordination to ensure that retail employers, police and the courts work together to make stores safer and give staff the support and confidence they need. This week of action is a great step towards that aim.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 350,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades
www.usdaw.org.uk
NBCC action week: https://nbcc.police.uk/news/nbcc-launches-national-week-of-action-to-target-business-crime
Final results of the Usdaw 2022 survey, based on 7,752 responses, show that (last year’s results in brackets): 74.26% (89%) were verbally abused, 49.25% (63%) were threatened. 7.92% (12%) had been assaulted. 40.88% said violence, threats and abuse caused them anxiety at work and 29.97% are now considering changing job. Top triggers for abuse: 34% shoplifting and armed robbery, along with 16% age-restricted sales. The full report can be found at:
www.usdaw.org.uk/FFFReport2...
Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/6
Assaults on Retail Workers (Offences) Bill: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2725
Usdaw’s Freedom from Fear Campaign seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse against workers by engaging the public, shopworkers and the Government
www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Freedom-From-Fear
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
@UsdawUnion