Shop bosses demanding protection for workers

Urgent action to tackle violence and abuse against shopworkers is being demanded by leading retail firms.

More than 65 company bosses – including high street names Aldi, McDonald's, Boots and the Post Office – have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying stronger laws were needed to protect their workers.

The move follows new data which found an increase in the verbal abuse of staff at "essential" retailers, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

The letter, organised by the BRC, says the Government needs "to treat the issue with the seriousness it deserves and improve protection for our employees by creating a new statutory offence of assaulting, threatening or abusing a retail worker".

A survey last year found two thirds of shop workers reported an increase in physical violence against staff during the pandemic.

All retailers who reported a rise in verbal or violent attacks said that the enforcement of covid restrictions was the key factor.

Oone leading retailer reported 990 incidents of violence or abuse in the first week after face coverings became compulsory.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: "Every day over 400 retail staff are attacked, threatened, or abused in their place of work.

"There were more than 150,000 incidents in 2019, and these numbers have been rising during the pandemic.

"This cannot go on. The recent surge in violence should serve as a wake-up call for Government.

"Retail workers are playing a vital role during the biggest public health crisis of our time.”