‘Shocking’ rise in cough threats and attacks on Co-op staff
THE CENTRAL England Co-op is calling on the Government to introduce legislation to improve protection for key workers, following a “shocking” rise in the number of customers threatening to cough over staff during the pandemic.
The retailer, which has more than 260 stores across 16 counties, is joining forces with co-operatives up and down the country in a plea to protect its workers in the face of a continued spike in cases of threats and physical abuse.
The Co-op said: “New figures have seen assaults jump by 100 per cent, threats and intimidation by 25 per cent and verbal abuse by 175 per cent since the start of the year, and since the lockdown was introduced, there have been over 100 incidents related directly to people using Covid-19 as a threat.
“Some examples of incidents have included multiple threats by customers to cough on colleagues and ‘give them coronavirus’ and further threats of assaults because people have had to queue to enter stores, social distance or simply because they do not have a specific product.”
Debbie Robinson, Central England Co-op Chief Executive, said: “These uncertain times have brought to the fore how our colleagues in stores are key workers and critical to all of our everyday lives.
“However, despite this, we continue to see rise upon rise of incidents where our colleagues are verbally threatened or even worse physically abused just for doing the job – something that has only risen during the coronavirus outbreak.
“Today we tell people this is not acceptable, and we will not tolerate any kind of abuse to our colleagues and we also urge the Government to work harder to recognise that (staff) are recognised as being of vital importance to our daily lives.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “It is utterly unacceptable for shop workers to experience violence and abusive behaviour at any time and such offences should always be reported to the police for investigation – they will be taken seriously. We intend to publish the findings of our Call for Evidence on this issue soon and will continue to work with the British Retail Consortium and other partners to drive down these crimes.”
The Home Office has also provided £60,000 of Home Office funding to the Association of Convenience Stores to run a communications campaign to help prevent these crimes.