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UK retailers demand legislation to protect shop workers
10 Feb '21
2 min read
Pic: Shutterstock
Over 65 chief executive officers (CEOs) recently wrote to British prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for greater protection for shop workers in England and Wales. Verbal abuse and violence have been increasing for some time but a survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) found this has accelerated as a result of COVID safety measures.
The letter calls for legislation to make assaulting shop workers a separate offence, the same as in Scotland, according to a BRC press release.
The CEOs of 65 leading retailers and industry bodies requested Johnson to take urgent action to tackle violence and abuse towards retail workers.
The letter called for treating the issue with the seriousness it deserves and improve protection for employees by creating a new statutory offence of assaulting, threatening or abusing a retail worker. This legislation would toughen sentences for those who are violent or abusive towards shop workers, deter future perpetrators and ensure shop workers feel safer at work, the press release said.
Two thirds of respondents in the survey reported an increase in the number of incidents of physical violence against staff during the current lockdown. All retailers who reported a rise in verbal or violent attacks said that the enforcement of COVID restrictions was the key factor.
One leading retailer reported 990 incidents of violence or abuse in the first week after face coverings became compulsory in shops.
"The BRC has repeatedly called on the Government to take action and protect our colleagues from harm. Every day over 400 retail staff are attacked, threatened, or abused in their place of work. Over 150,000 in 2019, and these numbers have been rising during the pandemic. Those attacked are our friends, our family, our colleagues. This cannot go on,” BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said.
The letter calls for legislation to make assaulting shop workers a separate offence, the same as in Scotland, according to a BRC press release.
The CEOs of 65 leading retailers and industry bodies requested Johnson to take urgent action to tackle violence and abuse towards retail workers.
The letter called for treating the issue with the seriousness it deserves and improve protection for employees by creating a new statutory offence of assaulting, threatening or abusing a retail worker. This legislation would toughen sentences for those who are violent or abusive towards shop workers, deter future perpetrators and ensure shop workers feel safer at work, the press release said.
Two thirds of respondents in the survey reported an increase in the number of incidents of physical violence against staff during the current lockdown. All retailers who reported a rise in verbal or violent attacks said that the enforcement of COVID restrictions was the key factor.
One leading retailer reported 990 incidents of violence or abuse in the first week after face coverings became compulsory in shops.
"The BRC has repeatedly called on the Government to take action and protect our colleagues from harm. Every day over 400 retail staff are attacked, threatened, or abused in their place of work. Over 150,000 in 2019, and these numbers have been rising during the pandemic. Those attacked are our friends, our family, our colleagues. This cannot go on,” BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said.
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