Thursday, November 17, 2016

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Respect shopworkers

Posted: 16 Nov 2016 04:50 AM PST

Usadaw, Respect for Shopworkers Week, 14-20 November, Free from Fear camapaign, surveyRetail staff reveal the incidents of verbal abuse, threats and violent attacks they face at work.

This year's annual Respect for Shopworkers Week runs from 14 – 20 November, and this year the shopworkers' trade union Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) reps and members will be campaigning as part of the union's Freedom from Fear campaign.

Respect for Shopworkers Week, held at the start of the very busy Christmas shopping period, aims to remind customers that retail staff are real people who do not deserve to be abused, threatened or assaulted.

The current theme of Respect for Shopworkers Week is 'Keep Your Cool' – and encourages the public to remember that despite the stresses of the Christmas shopping period, there is never an excuse for abuse or violence.

And this year, as well as talking to shoppers about the problems of violence threats and abuse, union reps and members will be surveying retail staff about the incidents of verbal abuse, threats and violent attacks they face at work.

John Hannett, Usdaw's General Secretary, said: "Every minute of every day another shopworker is threatened, assaulted or verbally abused.

"No one should have to put up with violence or abuse at work.

"Respect for Shopworkers Week is an opportunity for our members to talk to the public about abuse at work and to ask customers to keep their cool and show respect for shopworkers."

Interim results of Usdaw's Freedom From Fear Survey show that nearly half of shopworkers are verbally abused and a quarter are threatened. The survey continues and full results will be released in the New Year.

These interim results, based on 2,250 responses, show that over the last 12 months 44 per cent were verbally abused and 25 per cent were threatened; 8.4 per cent have been assaulted, and 32 per cent did not report an incident.

Theft is often a trigger for violence, and spitting at members while they are trying to do their job has been highlighted. Customers often throw goods at shopworkers. Verbal abuse is a regular occurrence for shop workers.

The legal requirements placed on shopworkers around the sale of alcohol and other age restricted products is often a trigger for abuse and violence.

And shopworkers have reported being threatened when they are outside the workplace, told by customers they'll be found after work or waited for until after their shift, and suffering physical assaults in the actual shop.

Hannett said: "All too often criminals who assault staff are not even sent to court, those who are can receive derisory sentences.

"In other cases, where the offender isn't even charged, victims are left feeling that no one cares that they were assaulted. That can lead to staff not reporting incidents and our strong message is 'report it, to sort it'.

"So there needs to be action to help protect staff.

"It is time for the government to act by providing stiffer penalties for those who assault workers; a simple stand-alone offence that is widely recognised and understood by the public, police, CPS, the judiciary and most importantly criminals," he continued.

"On four separate occasions Parliament has had the opportunity to toughen the law to better protect shopworkers, but each time the Tories and Liberals have combined to block Labour's attempts."