Retail trade union Usdaw has written to the first minister of
Northern Ireland and deputy first minister
, urging them to take
action to support retail workers who continue to face violence
and abuse, amid a huge increase in the number of incidents in
recent years.
Following extensive campaigning by Usdaw, alongside various
employer organisations and retailers, Scotland introduced the
Protection of Workers Act (Scotland) in 2021, which made it an
offence to abuse, threaten or assault a public-facing retail
worker in Scotland. The UK Government recently announced it would
introduce a similar offence. Without action from the Northern
Ireland Assembly, retail workers in Northern Ireland are at
greater risk.
Results from Usdaw's annual survey of over 5,500 retail staff
show that 18% of shopworkers suffered a violent attack last year,
compared to 8 % in 2022. The increase in assaults comes during an
epidemic of retail crime with official statistics and reports
from retailers showing significant increases in theft from shops.
The survey also found:
- 70% have experienced verbal abuse.
- 46% were threatened by a customer.
- 18% were assaulted.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says:
“The case for a separate criminal offence for abusing or
assaulting a retail worker has been made against the backdrop of
a huge increase in the number of incidents in recent years. Our
annual Freedom From Fear survey results of thousands of our
members across the UK, including in Northern Ireland, shows that
the level of abuse and violence remain significantly above
pre-pandemic levels. Physical assaults are at an all-time high.
The situation is in danger of becoming normalised in shops.
“A separate criminal offence will ensure greater visibility and
awareness of the scale of the problem, prioritisation and
resourcing from the police, certainty from courts and will send a
clear message to members of the public that abuse and attacks
against retail workers are wholly unacceptable. It will also
allow the tracking of the data around cases as they progress
through the criminal justice system.
“Retail workers in Scotland already have the protection of a
separate, standalone criminal offence and now retail workers in
England and Wales are set to have similar protections. Like the
Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, we believe that there is a
real danger that retail workers in Northern Ireland will get left
behind. As such, we would strongly urge that legislation is
introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly as soon as possible
to ensure retail workers in Northern Ireland are covered by such
legislation, on a similar basis to the law in Scotland.”
