Violence against shopworkers

Last month, the Usdaw retail union launched “shocking statistics” on work-related violence to mark November’s annual Respect for Shopworkers week.

Interim results from more than 3,000 responses to the union’s 2023 Freedom from fear survey show that in the last 12 months, 65% of shopworkers have experienced verbal abuse; 42% were threatened by a customer, and 5% were assaulted. Six in 10 incidents were triggered by shoplifting.

Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: “Having to deal with repeated and persistent shoplifters can cause issues beyond the theft itself like anxiety, fear and in some cases physical harm to retail workers.”

He added: “Our members are reporting that they are often faced with hardened career criminals in their stores and much of the abuse they suffer is from those who are stealing to sell goods on, often to fund an addiction.”