Retail trade union Usdaw has today published shocking statistics from their annual survey of nearly 3,500 retail staff, which show that in the last twelve months:
- 90% have experienced verbal abuse.
- 64% were threatened by a customer.
- 12% were assaulted.
- 61% said they were not confident that reporting abuse, threats and violence will make a difference.
Usdaw annual survey full results: www.usdaw.org.uk/FFFsurvey2021
Northern Irish voices from the frontline: These are some of the comments Northern Irish shopworkers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:
- “I have been called names and sexually harassed.”
- “Physically slapped by a customer, spat at and had groceries thrown at me.”
- “High volumes of verbal abuse when either following the ‘Think 25’ policy or refusing to serve an individual alcohol who is already under the influence.”
- “Screamed at for not having stock. Basket thrown at me because we didn’t have the ready meal he wanted. Threatened to wait on me outside the store when I finished because she was unable to get a refund.”
- “People throwing things at me, being abusive about waiting times and about not wearing masks.”
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “It is heart-breaking to hear these testimonies from Northern Irish shopworkers who deserve far more respect than they receive. Our latest survey results clearly show the scale of the appalling violence, threats and abuse faced by shopworkers.
“9 in 10 are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. Particularly concerning is the one-third increase in assaults, up from 9% in 2020 to 12% in 2021. So it is extremely worrying that nearly two-thirds are not confident that reporting these issues will make any difference.
“Violence and abuse is not an acceptable part of the job and it is truly horrific that shopworkers are having to face it on a daily basis. Faced with such appallingly high levels of violence and abuse, and with shopworkers’ almost complete lack of confidence in the ability of the system to give them the protection they need, much more needs to be done. There must be better co-ordination to ensure that retail employers, police and the courts work together to make stores safe places for our members to work and for customers to shop.”