The Tobacco and Vapes Bill means that anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettes for the rest of their life and aims to make vapes less appealing to children. Usdaw’s annual survey of shopworkers shows that nearly half of shopworkers suffered violence, threats and abuse by enforcing the law and 43% of those were triggered by age-verification.
Voices from the frontline: These are some of the comments shopworkers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:
- “Sworn at for refusing an energy drink sale due to the customer looking under 25 and having no ID.”
- “Told to f*** off when asked for ID.”
- “We get verbally abused nearly every day, especially asking customers for ID.”
- “People upset about age challenges at the till and shoplifters being abusive.”
- “Had to ask a young man for ID (Think25) he was very upset about it and called me a f***ing b*tch!”
- “Asked customer for ID and they didn't have it so they threatened me.”
- “Sexual harassment and abuse about Think 25.”
- “Asked for ID and they called me a cow, a b*tch and a whore.”
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “It is heart-breaking to hear these testimonies from shopworkers who deserve far more respect than they receive. They are on the frontline of enforcing the laws created by Parliament and they deserve to have the full protection of the law. Last week the Government promised to introduce a standalone offence for assaulting a shopworker, but we haven’t seen the detail of what they are proposing yet. It must at least as strong as the law we campaigned for and won in Scotland.
“Usdaw supports the intention of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and we recognise the health benefits that it can bring. However, the Government cannot ignore the very real dangers for shopworkers in verifying a customer’s age and enforcing the law. This will become increasing difficult in the decades to come, as tobacco products will be illegal to purchase by people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond.
“The dither and delay of this Government on accepting the need to legislate to protect retail staff has led to thousands of shopworkers needlessly suffering physical and mental injury. We hope that whatever the Government is proposing will be substantial and effective in giving shopworkers, key workers in every community, the respect that they have long deserved and regrettably too often do not receive.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 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
Usdaw annual survey of violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers: www.usdaw.org.uk/FFFReport2023
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