November 11 to 15 is Respect for Shopworkers Week. The leader of the retail trade union Usdaw John Hannett has given out survey results showing that one in six shopworkers had not reported a violent attack to their manager or the police.
John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says: “It is very worrying that 1 in 6 shopworkers who have been physically assaulted did not report the incident to their employer or the police. We are shocked that so many are suffering in silence and I would urge shopworkers to report all incidents, to give us and the employers the chance to sort the problem.
“We are seeking a change in the law to provide for stiffer sentences for those who assault workers serving the public. There is a real need to address the scourge of violence against workers. This proposal would make it clear to potential assailants that attacking shopworkers is totally unacceptable and reassure retail staff that reporting incidents will result in proper punishment for the offender. Our message is very clear: abuse and physical attacks are not part of a shopworker’s job!”
As the union pointed out, some shopworkers are expected to enforce the law, whether that is preventing under-age purchases or detaining shoplifters until the police arrive. They can be put in danger.
Respect for Shopworkers Week 2013 from November 11 to 15 is an annual event where shopworkers talk to the public about the problems of violence threats and abuse, asking customers to ‘keep their cool’. Part of the campaign will be encouraging shopworker not to take abuse as part of the job and report incidents to their manager.
Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear Survey Report 2013, the interim results of shopworkers experiences over the last year, from the first 1,844 responses, are:
Victims of verbal abuse: 49%
Shopworkers threatened: 35%
Violent assaults: 4%.
Of these incidents the following didn’t report it to their manager:
Abuse 46%
Threats 33%
Violence 17%.
