Respect for Shopworkers Week

Every minute of every day a shopworker will suffer some form of verbal abuse or violence whilst at work.

During the winter months, as more of us begin our Christmas shopping, this problem will become even worse.

With crowded stores and hurried shoppers, shopworkers are often on the receiving end of customer’s frustrations. That is why I teamed up with staff from Sainsbury’s Pontllanfraith earlier this month to launch the Respect for Shopworkers campaign.

This week, shopworkers across Islwyn will be talking to the public about the problems which violence, threats and abuse can cause in busy supermarkets and stores.

Whether preventing under age purchases or detaining shoplifters until police arrive, shopworkers are often in situations which can lead to them being on the receiving end of violence or abuse.

With supermarkets and food stores now open later than ever, those on a night shift will often have to deal with drunken or abusive customers.

Recent research from the union ‘Usdaw’ shows that some 35% of shopworkers have been threatened whilst at work while 4% have been victims of violence in the past year. Worryingly, almost half of shop staff report being on the receiving end of some form of verbal abuse.

However, these figures may be just the tip of the iceberg. It is thought that incidences of abuse are so common many shopworkers simply do not report them.

Some encounter abuse on such a regular basis, it is seen as almost part of the job. The problem is made worse by the difficulty in prosecuting offenders - too often assaults on shop staff go unpunished.

This year’s campaign aims to raise awareness of the fact that there is no specific offence relating to assaults on shopworkers. Although shops are able to ban repeat offenders more has to be done to ensure that abusive customers do not get away with bad behaviour.

Respect for Shopworkers Week, which takes place this week from 11th – 15th November, aims to encourage shopworkers to report abuse and not see threats and violence as part of the job.

By taking part in the campaign shoppers in Islwyn can help ensure that shopworkers feel safe at work and do not have to put up with aggression or anti-social behaviour.

For more information on ‘Respect for Shopworkers Week’ visit www.usdaw.org.uk/ourcampaigns.