Co-op in plea to protect workers
Reports of assaults on staff jump 100 per cent
CENTRAL ENGLAND Co-op is demanding tougher action to protect its staff after receiving “multiple” reports of customers threatening to cough on shop workers to give them coronavirus.
The Co-op has launched a joint campaign with other retailers to lobby for Government action to protect workers who ensure communities have access to food and essential supplies.
New figures from the retailer, which has more than 260 stores across 16 counties, showed that reports of assault against its staff have jumped by 100 per cent and reports of threats and intimidation have risen by 25 per cent since the start of the year. Since the lockdown was introduced, there have been more than 100 incidents related directly to people using Covid-19 as a threat.
The Co-op said: “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: “We still think more could and should be done to protect our store colleagues and all shop workers from threats and physical abuse.
“We continue to believe that this kind of behaviour is not acceptable, and we will not tolerate any kind of abuse to our colleagues and we again urge the Government to work harder to recognise the people it has recognised as being of vital importance to our daily lives.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “Violence of any form against shopworkers is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
“That is why we have set out a comprehensive plan to address the drivers of violence and assaults, support shopworkers and reduce this crime.
“Alongside this, the Government
has provided a package of measures to support staff and retailers, including £1m of funding over three years for the police-led National Business Crime Centre, which is working to improve communication between police forces on business crime, promote training and advice, and help identify national and local trends.”
The Government has provided £60,000 of Home Office funding to the Association of Convenience Stores to run a communications campaign to help prevent these crimes by raising awareness, the spokesman added.