Union’s new call to protect shop workers

Coronavirus measures like face masks and social distancing led to a surge in violence and abuse against shop workers last year, according to new research.

The latest annual report into retail crime by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealed there were 455 incidents of violence and abuse every day in the year to March 2020 – a seven per cent rise on the previous year but sector leaders say the situation worsened during the pandemic.

Tom Ironside, director of business and regulation at the BRC, said: "These figures don't cover the vast majority of the pandemic, but we have had a lot of information to show there was a trigger point caused by the virus and rule enforcement.

Late last year, the influential House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee launched an inquiry into the issue the day after shop workers’ union Usdaw secured over 104,000 signatures on a ‘protect shopworkers’ petition.

It wants a law to protect shop workers from violence and abuse by customers.

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary said: “This has been a terrible time for our members, with almost 90% of shopworkers suffering abuse, two-thirds threatened and nearly one in ten assaulted.

"Retail workers are saying loud and clear that enough is enough, abuse should never be part of the job.”

He added: “Despite this overwhelming evidence the Government continues to refuse to support a specific law to protect shopworkers, which is backed by the BRC and many retailers.

"We are now looking for MPs to support key workers across the retail sector and turn around the UK Government’s opposition.”