BBC News
By George Bowden
image copyrightGetty Images
Retail bosses are calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take action against violence and abuse experienced by shop workers.
Leaders of 100 brands, including Tesco, Sainsbury s, Ikea and Aldi, have signed an open letter to support greater protection in law for retail staff.
The Co-op has reported a fourfold rise in violent crime between 2014 and 2020.
The government said courts should be increasing sentences for assaults against shop workers.
They added there was a clear need now for better protection in law for retail workers . Victims of abuse, threats and violence carry those experiences with them for life, they added.
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Violence and abuse towards shop workers is endemic and has worsened since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, MPs have heard.
Almost nine in ten retail staff have said they suffered verbal abuse in the last year, with 60 per cent having reported threats of physical violence, and 9 per cent said they had been physically assaulted.
The shocking figures came from a survey of 2,700 workers by the retail industry s trade union Usdaw. Joanne Cairns, the union s head of research and economics told the Commons Home Affairs Committee the issue is a major concern for us .
Almost nine in ten retail staff have said they suffered verbal abuse in the last year, with 60 per cent having reported threats of physical violence, and 9 per cent said they had been physically assaulted (stock photo)
Violence and abuse towards shop workers is “endemic” and has worsened since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, MPs have heard.
A survey of 2,700 retail workers found that 88% were verbally abused last year, 60% reported threats of physical violence, and 9% said they had been physically assaulted, Usdaw head of research and economics Joanne Cairns told the Commons Home Affairs Committee.
Ms Cairns told the committee the issue is a “major concern for us”, adding: “This has been endemic for some time and it has worsened since the beginning of the Covid crisis.”
She said safety measures required as a result of the pandemic have overtaken the most common triggers in previous years, with some 85% of incidents related to issues such as queueing, social distancing and the requirement for face masks.
Violence and abuse towards shop workers endemic and worsening since Covid | Lancaster And Morecambe Citizen thelancasterandmorecambecitizen.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thelancasterandmorecambecitizen.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.