'Usdaw'

Did you know that being a retail assistant can be one of the most risky jobs in Britain? And did you realise that more than 20,000 retail workers were assaulted at work last year?

I was shocked when I read that one in two shops experience violence or abuse towards staff every year, with many shop workers threatened with verbal or physical abuse on a daily basis. In the last 12 months, the number of attacks on shop staff has increased by 47%.

That is why I am supporting Usdaw's Freedom from Fear campaign to protect shop workers from violence and abuse at work.

Shop workers provide an important public service, and deserve to be treated with respect.

Usdaw, the main Union representing retail workers, has launched the Freedom from Fear campaign as a major initiative to work with shops, the police and local authorities to raise awareness of what shop workers have to put up with, and to help protect retail staff.

Most of us have become frustrated or annoyed while doing our shopping, especially when we're faced with a long queue at the till, or that find that the shop has sold out of that crucial item. However, most of us would seethe in silence, venting our frustrations by grumbling to family and friends when we got home, or in the extreme, complaining to a manager or supervisor.

Usdaw's Freedom from Fear campaign is aimed at tackling the problem of individuals who react in a much more extreme way - frightening and intimidating shop staff, sometimes even physically assaulting them.

Sometimes this behaviour is associated with other crimes, in particular shoplifting. Shoplifting is often thought of as a petty, 'victimless' crime, but as Usdaw's report shows, it is far from victimless when shop staff who challenge thieves are themselves threatened with violence and abuse. Witnessing such an incident is often an upsetting experience for the majority of decent shoppers.

Although a lot of abusive behaviour towards shopkeepers is linked to criminal activity, a large proportion of it comes simply from customers who allow their frustration and irritation to get the better of them.

This Friday is Respect for Shop Workers Day, a day of celebration organised by
Usdaw to raise awareness of the problems faced by shop staff.

Here in South Shields we have a great reputation for friendliness, for service with a smile, and we live in a Borough where people in our communities care about and support each other. Let's all work together to build on this reputation, and treat our shop workers with the respect that they deserve.