Usdaw welcomes the passing of a landmark protection of shop workers’ law

Minister for Crime and Policing Sarah Jones said: “There is nothing low-level about shoplifting. It devastates our high streets and hollows out businesses. For too long thieves have been given a free pass, so it is no surprise these crimes have soared in recent years. By scrapping the £200 cap, we will ensure they are properly held accountable. We are also giving staff the protection they deserve by ensuring that, if they are attacked, it will be properly recorded as a bespoke offence by police so they can respond better in future.”

Joanne Thomas – Usdaw general secretary says: “No-one should feel afraid to go to work, but our evidence shows that nearly four in five of our members working in retail are being abused, threatened and assaulted for simply doing their job and serving the community. They provide an essential service and deserve our respect and the protection of the law.

“So, we welcome the Crime and Policing Act, which includes a much-needed protection of shop workers’ law; ending the indefensible £200 threshold for shop theft prosecutions and Respect Orders for offenders. Scotland already has a protection of retail workers law and the Northern Ireland Executive introduced their Sentencing Bill earlier this year, which contains a similar measure.

“After many years of campaigning alongside retail employers, it now feels like governments are listening and taking action to give all retail workers across the UK the protections and respect they deserve. Once the legislation is enacted we need to ensure that it is enforced by working with governments, councils, police and retailers to raise awareness, improve reporting and the response to retail crime.

“The Government is already taking action to drive down retail crime by working in close partnership with the police and retail sector to take the actions that will make the most difference. Their police reforms are lifting national responsibilities off local forces, so they focus on tackling local issues. Also, with their Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, every community now has a named contactable officer, dedicated to addressing local issues, including shop theft.”

Simon Roberts - Chief Executive Officer at Sainsbury's says: “Every morning, this is the email I wish I never had to read: it’s a summary of all the crime and  security incidents our hard working, dedicated colleagues faced the day before across our 1,400 stores. The threats, the abuse, the violence. None of it is ‘low level’. Usdaw's ‘Freedom from Fear’ survey shows nearly four in five retail workers last year experienced abuse, threats or assaults at work simply for doing their job. That’s unacceptable by any standard.

“We’ve invested heavily in protecting our teams: body‑worn cameras, kiosk screens, remote CCTV and now the roll out of facial recognition technology following a successful trial in our stores. These tools are making a difference, but the scale of retail crime today means retailers cannot tackle this alone. That’s why Government action is essential.”