Abuse worsens in retail

Three-quarters of retail staff say abuse has been worse during the pandemic, research carried out by the Usdaw shopworkers’ union has revealed.

Interim results from the union’s annual survey, based on responses from 2,000 members, found that 76% say abuse has been worse than normal during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In all, up to 85% of shopworkers have experienced verbal abuse, 57% were threatened by a customer and 9% were assaulted.

The findings were released as part of last month’s annual Respect for Shopworkers Week. During the week, Usdaw promoted the parliamentary petition calling on the government to legislate to protect shopworkers.

General secretary Paddy Lillis said: “Yet another Usdaw survey shows that some people have responded to this appalling pandemic by abusing shopworkers.

“At a time when we should all be working together to get through this national crisis, it is a disgrace that staff working to keep food on the shelves are being abused.”

He said action to protect shopworkers is needed, which is why Usdaw had launched a petition that now had over 70,000 signatures.

Lillis added that the union was “deeply disappointed” by the government’s response to the petition, “offering little more than sympathy, so we continue to campaign for the 100,000 signatures needed to trigger a parliamentary debate”.

www.usdaw.org.uk/About-Us/News/2020/Sep/Government-responds-to-Usdaw-petition-with-little