Tag: USDAW

Enough Is Enough: Shop workers speak out about violence, threats and abuse

USDAW HIGHLIGHTS THE LINK WITH SHOP THEFT


Retail trade union Usdaw has launched shocking statistics from its annual survey during this year’s Respect for Shop Workers Week, which runs from 11-17 November.

Usdaw members are raising awareness of the union’s year-round Freedom From Fear Campaign and talking to the public to promote a message of ‘respect for shop workers’.

Interim results from over 4,000 retail staff responses show that in the last twelve months:

  • 69% have experienced verbal abuse.
  • 45% were threatened by a customer.
  • 17% were assaulted.
  • 70% of these incidents were triggered by shoplifting and two-thirds of those were linked to addiction. 

Scottish voices from the frontline: 

These are some of the comments Scottish shop workers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:

Central Scotland: “Punched in the shoulder and verbal abuse – being called names and sworn at.” – “Shouted at for tills not working.” – “Customer tried to grab my face.” – “Colleague got stabbed with screwdriver.” – I get deliberately misgendered.”

Glasgow: “Daily verbal abuse even when asking customers to scan their bags.” – “Held up at knife point.” – “Couple stole jars of coffee, asked for them back and they smashed a jar of coffee on my head” – “Punched on chin and chest.”

Highlands and Islands: “Threatened with a bottle after customer stole beer.” – “Aggression over being asked for ID, unwanted sexual attention.” – “Customer came behind cash desk and was in my face, telling me she’d be waiting on me.”

Lothian: “Racially abusive statements made to me and about me,” – “Grabbed by the scruff of my work jacket and shook me whilst yelling i had ruined their son’s Christmas because we were out of a specific chocolate” – “Being called a bitch.”

Mid-Scotland and Fife: “Men following to the car” – “Customers unhappy with self-service. Shouting at me or talking in a bad way.” – “Customers being volatile when you will not sell them age restricted items due to no ID.”

North East Scotland: “Theft and threatening behaviour towards myself or my colleagues is a daily occurrence. Worst I have experienced.” – “Referred to as a bloody shelf stacker.” – “Customers shouting at you pushing trollies into you.”

South Scotland: “Kick up the bum by customer.” – “Customers grabbing my waist, pulling my hair, grabbing my shoulder/arms/legs, telling me they stalk me, telling me to meet them after work, making sexual comments toward me.” –

West Scotland: “Called an f**kng moron because I was pulling a trolley on the shop floor.” – “Drunk football fans – alcohol purchase rejection – backed against wall poked in the eye – grabbed by others in the group preventing me from alerting security.”

Tony Doonan, Usdaw regional secretary for Scotland, says: “Shop workers deserve far more respect than they receive and these experiences from Scottish retail workers make very difficult reading.

“It is shocking that over two-thirds of our members working in retail are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence.

“Seven in ten of these incidents were triggered by theft from shops, which is clearly the result of a near doubling in police recorded shoplifting across Scotland since the pandemic. It has become increasingly common for retail stores to be targeted by organised crime gangs stealing to order in the midst of a retail crime epidemic.

“Our survey demonstrates that theft from shops is not a victimless crime, with incidents regularly being a major flashpoint for violence and abuse against shop workers. Having to deal with repeated and persistent theft and even looting can cause issues beyond the incident itself like anxiety, fear and in some cases physical harm to retail workers.

“Our members are reporting that they are often faced with hardened career criminals in their stores and much of the abuse they suffer is from those who are stealing to sell goods on, often to fund an addiction.

“Violence and abuse is not an acceptable part of the job and much more needs to be done to protect shop workers. We were delighted to have won the campaign for a protection of workers law in the Scottish Parliament, but that is the beginning not the end.

“We have to ensure that the legislation is central to tackle a growing wave of retail crime and Usdaw looks forward to working with Police Scotland to make that happen.

“This week, Usdaw activists will be campaigning in their workplaces and communities calling on the shopping public to ‘respect shop workers’ and ‘keep your cool’, particularly in the run-up to Christmas when the number of incidents increases as shops get busy and customers become frustrated.

“This is a hugely important issue for our members, and they are saying loud and clear that enough is enough.”

STUC Women’s Conference 2024: Usdaw seeks action on women’s under-representation and support for carers

Retail trade union Usdaw has a delegation of members, reps and officials attending the annual Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) Women’s Conference in Glasgow on 23 and 24 October.

Usdaw is seeking to address the under-representation of women in policy and decision making, along with more support for women carers.

Ruth Cross – Usdaw equalities officer says: “Women remain under-represented in political spaces, in peace processes and in all of Scotland’s democratic bodies.

“There are multiple barriers to women accessing politics, particularly Black women, disabled women and LGBT+ women. Women make up 52% of the Scottish population and should be equally represented in our democratic bodies and our movement, but gender parity is far from becoming a reality. Women hold 37% of seats in the Scottish Parliament, 24% of seats in local council chambers and only 36% of public board places. Women are under-represented in politics.

“There are welcome examples of positive progress for women’s representation in Scotland in recent years, but we need to guard against regression and take bold action to make sure progress is sustained in the future. Sexism, misogyny and violence violate women’s right to participate equally in political and public life. Attacks on women in public life are also increasing and more women are withdrawing from public life as a result.

“Evidence shows women bring lived experience to political decision making, resulting in decisions that address violence, human rights abuses and promote more equal access to resources and services. Increased representation for women in politics has a positive impact on both gender equality issues and social policy more broadly. We need to fully integrate women into all our political and union structures and address our specific policy concerns.

“Usdaw is asking conference delegates to support our call on the STUC Women’s Committee to press the STUC and Scottish Government, local authorities, public bodies and political parties to take all steps to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all women and to continue to be vigilant about ensuring women are accurately represented in every aspect of public and political life.”

Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “There is evidence that providing care impacts on almost every aspect of women’s daily lives, decision making and financial circumstances.

“In Scotland, over half of women carers have said that their physical health has been negatively affected as a result of their caring role and a shocking 81% feel stressed or anxious because of their role. Yet their care responsibilities and the effort required to make themselves available to do their jobs is frequently invisible to or ignored by employers.

“The recent scandal surrounding the recovery of overpaid Carer’s Allowance has brought to light the systemic way in which social security is failing carers, although we are pleased that our new Labour Government has moved swiftly by setting up a review to address issues faced by carers.

“The problems with Carer’s Allowance are replicated in the relatively new Carer Payment which is being rolled out in Scotland.  “As it currently stands, Carer’s Allowance is deepening women’s poverty and contributing to their ongoing inequality. The processes currently in place to rectify overpayments cause lasting harm and distress.

“Due to this lack of recognition and support, women carers are often compelled to reduce hours of work, take unpaid or sick leave or give up work altogether. This has a knock-on effect on income, resulting in a higher poverty rate for carers than those without a caring role.”

Usdaw is calling on the Scottish Government to:

  • Promote flexible and paid employment rights that explicitly value the contribution of unpaid carers, no matter what kind of job or contract they have.
  • Improve access to quality and reliable social care.
  • Timetable urgent reform to eligibility for Carer Support Payment that does not restrict carers’ employment decisions.

STUC Black Workers’ Conference 2024: Usdaw calls for action to tackle sexual harassment, structural racism, inequality and poverty

Retail trade union Usdaw has a delegation of members, reps and officials attending the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) annual Black Workers’ Conference in Glasgow this weekend.

The union has submitted motions on tackling structural racism, inequality and poverty, along with addressing the combination of racism and sexual harassment Black women and girls experience.

Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “Black and minority ethnic people are disproportionately falling faster and further below the poverty line in the cost of living crisis in Scotland.

The labour market in Scotland – as elsewhere – remains stacked against Black workers. If you’re a Black worker in Scotland, you are more likely to be paid less and be in insecure work on the margins of the economy, and less likely to be covered by collective bargaining agreements and to not get the working hours you want.

“The data also shows that, in addition to inequality in the labour market, Black workers face higher housing costs and are less likely to be supported by social security. Black workers have less wealth, savings and income to absorb these additional costs.

“As a result, poverty levels for people in Black minority ethnic communities in Scotland are double the national average – and rising. A wide range of short- and longer-term measures need to be adopted to tackle structural racism and discrimination in Scotland’s economy and society.”

Usdaw is asking conference to call on the Scottish Government, as a minimum, to:

  • Stand by their commitment to reduce racial inequality, as set out in the Race Equality Framework for Scotland.
  • Bring far greater urgency to creating a labour market that offers equal opportunities for minority ethnic workers and offers a route out of poverty.
  • Collect appropriate, robust ethnicity data allowing a full understanding of the structural inequalities faced by minority ethnic communities in Scotland. 

Paddy Lillis continues: “Black women’s experiences of sexual harassment differ significantly as the combination of racism and sexism creates a specific form of sexual harassment.

“Black women and girls report how racism leads to their bodies being oversexualised which contributes to the assumption that they will put up with unwanted sexual conduct. Racialised objectification of Black women contributes to a particular view of Black women’s bodies.

“Women and girls who wear modest or religious clothing report that their religion or perceived ethnicity is used to insult or degrade them. When Black women object, they encounter racist abuse and when they seek support, services are often inaccessible and under-utilised. Institutional racism and sexism also means that incidents are under-reported to employers, criminal justice agencies and police.”

Usdaw is seeking the STUC Black Workers Committee to:

  • Support the work Unions are doing to create separate spaces for Black women to come together to share their experiences and build networks of Black women.
  • Encourage Unions to centre Black women’s voices in their campaigns to tackle and end sexual harassment. 

STUC Youth Conference 2024: Usdaw seeks support for parents and carers

Union highlights need to address the challenges of automation and skills

Retail trade union Usdaw has a delegation of young reps attending the annual Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) Youth Conference, taking place in Glasgow this weekend (13 and 14 July).

Usdaw is calling for action to support young working parents and carers, along with addressing the reskilling challenges for workers whose jobs are changing because of automation.

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, says: “We are deeply concerned by the vast developments in workplace technology and automation in Scotland, which disproportionately impact young workers. 

“The acceleration in automation means that an estimated nine in ten employees need to retrain by 2030. 

“The Flexible Workforce Development Fund offered an opportunity to deliver the skills necessary to adapt to these changes, but it is regrettable that the Scottish Government withdrew funding. We are concerned that the delivery of quality apprenticeships and training programmes for young workers will suffer as a result.”

Usdaw is calling on the STUC to urgently campaign for the immediate implementation of the following provisions, to ensure young workers are adequately trained to take advantage of the future world of work:

  • Significant and long-term investment in skills funding, including coordination of skills and education budgets across Scotland.
  • Review retail modern apprenticeships to ensure more accessible and transparent access to training and skills.
  • Promote positive action to tackle under-representation, including calling on employers to report on actions they are taking to promote inclusive training and skills provisions.
  • The development of robust sectoral plans to support skills development across the whole of Scotland.
  • Deliver a legal right to paid time off for retraining, to encourage not just specialised skills such as data science, but greater overall digital literacy as well as broader skills development across the workforce.
  • Support a requirement under UK legislation for employers to consult on new technology, including the use of equality impact assessments, which employers must act upon. 

Paddy Lillis continues: “The pressures young parents and carers experience balancing their work life and caring responsibilities need to be addressed.

“We are concerned that young mothers are more likely to experience discrimination in the workplace related to their pregnancy or childcare.

“More worryingly, Usdaw’s own research shows 16 to 24-year-olds were least likely to know of their legal right to request flexible working, which could relieve some of the pressures young parents and carers face.

“Furthermore, many young people may not be aware of their rights to financial support such as the Young Carer Grant, which could provide some relief during the cost of living crisis.”

Usdaw is calling on trade unions and the STUC to:

  • Give a voice to young parents and carers so that their experience informs our work to win them a better deal at work and in society.
  • Develop campaign materials for young parents and carers about their legal rights and the financial support available to them.
  • Ensure campaigning, political and bargaining agendas reflect the distinct concerns of young parents and carers.
  • Continue to promote the value and importance of distinct young workers’ structures in encouraging young workers’ involvement in the trade union movement. 

STUC backs Usdaw call for action to tackle the growing lack of affordable, flexible and accessible childcare

Retail trade union Usdaw has a delegation of members, reps and officials attending the annual conference of the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) in Dundee, which started on Monday and concludes tomorrow.

Moving the composite motion about childcare, Elaine Dennis – Usdaw delegate said: “In recent years working parents across Scotland have come under huge strain due to the growing lack of affordable, flexible and accessible childcare.

“Undoubtedly, the cost of living crisis has intensified this problem, with women often bearing the brunt. Childcare is not just an equality issue and a trade union issue, it’s key to economic growth and essential to tackling child poverty.

“Despite childcare being so crucial to working families and women’s equality.

“The current system is failing parents who are struggling to find good quality affordable childcare, failing childcare workers, who are often underpaid, and underappreciated, and failing children across Scotland, who are missing out on vital opportunities with one in four living in poverty.

“Most Usdaw members work in lower paid sectors like retail and warehousing; the majority are women, so childcare is a huge issue for our members. The costs of childcare and nursery fees are simply unaffordable for many parents in lower paid jobs and even where free hours are available, the system is complicated and difficult to navigate. Many families don’t know what they are entitled to and many more are left with huge gaps in provision.

“Balancing work with childcare in a sector like retail is not easy and women are often the primary carer. It is so often invisible to employers and managers, yet it shapes working lives.

“We know from supporting many of our women members with children, the effort they put in to making themselves available for work is enormous. It often means getting up very early or going to bed very late and regularly arriving at work on very little sleep.

“It means putting a lot of effort into scheduling childcare around work, creating a complicated patchwork of support. Working out when grandparents, neighbours or older siblings are available to look after young children in the morning, evening or for a few hours after school. This is why good wraparound childcare provisions are so important to working parents.

“We know that many parents work ‘opposite shifts’, with families barely able to spend a minute of quality time together. Workplace policies help and unions do a great job negotiating flexible working agreements that make a real difference to women’s working lives, but women working in part-time, low hours and low paid jobs, who are worried about holding onto them, are often too afraid to ask their employer for help.

“A successful childcare system should enable parents to work the jobs and the hours that they choose to. Instead, it is a barrier to work for those in lower paid jobs.

“It prevents women from progressing, trapping families in poverty and ingraining inequality. We desperately need a childcare system that supports working parents and grandparents, valuing these dedicated workers and supporting families in Scotland.”

Scottish shopworkers speak out after an Usdaw survey finds that violence has more than doubled in the last year

Retail trade union Usdaw has today (13 March) launched shocking statistics from their annual survey of over 5,500 retail staff showing 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 stats and reports from retailers showing significant increases in theft from shops. Usdaw’s survey shows that levels of violence, threats and abuse all increased compared to pre-pandemic figures. In the last twelve months (pre-pandemic levels in brackets, from the 2019 survey):

·       70% (68%) have experienced verbal abuse.

·       46% (43%) were threatened by a customer.

·       18% (5%) were assaulted.

Full report: www.usdaw.org.uk/FFFReport2023

These findings follow similar trends to recent reports from British Retail Consortium and the Association of Convenience Stores.

Both retail trade associations found significant increases in violence and abuse against shopworkers alongside much higher levels of shoplifting, which is costing the industry £3 billion in lost stock and security measures.

Scottish voices from the frontline: 

These are some of the comments Scottish shopworkers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:

Central Scotland: “Customer wasn’t happy about something and took it out on me with shouting.” – “Most abuse when asking for ID for age identification.” – “Customer wasn’t sold alcohol and became verbally aggressive, they left but I felt shaken.”

Glasgow: “Shouting at me, getting in my face, calling me names, saying I’m useless, swearing, using derogatory female terms.” – “Pregnant member of staff got assaulted with a solar light.” – “Attacked in the car park finishing shift.”

Highlands and Islands: “Have been pushed and punched.” – “Called horrible name and barged past by a customer who I asked to leave because he is barred for shoplifting.”

Lothian: “Threats to stab us, wait for us to finish etc.” – “Customers who are drunk issuing vague threats, personal insults.” – “Touched by a male customer, he got angry, called me a rat and a lesbian because I didn’t want to be touched.”

Mid-Scotland and Fife: “Verbal abuse daily, at Christmas get threats.” – “Threatened to get punched and verbal abuse.” – “Challenging shoplifters on a daily basis and dealing with antisocial behaviour.” – “Grabbed me from behind.”

North East Scotland: “Customer said they liked my hair then pulled it.” – “Intentionally swung his basket at me after being told the alcohol aisle was closed.” – “Swearing directed towards me when asking shoplifter to leave the store.”

South Scotland: “Abuse from youths on a daily basis – threats and violence from shoplifters under the influence of drink and drugs.” – “Customer spit in my face after assaulting security.” – “Hit with packs of cakes and called a fat lazy cow.”

West Scotland: “Hit in the face by a drunk man with a basket.” – “Someone tried to hit me with a bottle.” – “Shouted at about queues, items not in stock or wanting a refund on an item that has been used and no receipt.”

Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “It is heart-breaking to hear these testimonies from Scottish 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 retail staff.

“No-one should feel afraid to go to work, but our evidence shows that too many retail workers are. It is shocking that nearly a fifth of our members working in retail are being assaulted for simply doing their job and serving the community. They provide an essential service and deserve our respect and the protection of the law.

“Our members have reported that they are often faced with hardened career criminals and we know that retail workers are much more likely to be abused by those who are stealing to sell goods on. Our latest survey results show that 7 in 10 retail workers suffered abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. Theft from shops and armed robbery were triggers for 61% of these incidents.

“Violence and abuse is not an acceptable part of the job and much more needs to be done to protect shopworkers. We were delighted to have won the campaign for a protection of workers law in the Scottish Parliament, but that is the beginning not the end. We have to ensure that the legislation is central to tackle a growing wave of retail crime and Usdaw looks forward to working with Police Scotland to make that happen.”

FFF-Survey-Results-Report-2023-0324-150dpiDownload

Scottish Labour Conference 2024: Usdaw seeks an end to child and in-work poverty

Retail trade union Usdaw has a delegation of members, reps and officials attending the annual Scottish Labour Conference in Glasgow, Friday 16 to Sunday 18 February. The union is part of a composite on child poverty.

Tracy Gilbert, Usdaw Regional Secretary for Scotland says: “One in four children in Scotland are living in poverty, which is inextricably linked to in-work poverty. It is appalling that Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner has deemed the SNP Government to have ‘absolutely failed’ to deliver for young people.

“While we welcome the Scottish Child Payment, the rising cost of living means the payment is falling in value and more direct support is needed to meet child poverty targets. The lack of appropriate childcare, and the childcare costs families continue to face, lock children in poverty despite improvements in funded childcare in recent years.

“Research shows that families with children make up around half of the families experiencing in-work poverty across Scotland. So, tackling the issue of in-work poverty is critical to ensuring that every child has the best possible start in life and the opportunity to thrive.”

The composite motion to conference calls on Scottish Labour to:

·         Prioritise the eradication of child poverty.

·         Urgently work with trade unions and the Child Poverty Commission to bring forward a comprehensive plan to eradicate child poverty.

·         Increase cash payments to families through mechanisms such as raising the minimum wage.

·         Provide safe and affordable housing.

·         Address the lack of appropriate, affordable and accessible childcare that families face to help break the cycle of child poverty.

·         Introduce meaningful support to address the most urgent priorities facing working people as a result of the cost of living crisis.

Retail crime a “crisis that demands action’

  • BRC survey shows a 50% increase in levels of retail violence and abuse, to 1,300 incidents a day
  • Cost of theft doubled to £1.8 billion in 2022/23 with over 45,000 incidents a day
  • 60% of respondents say police response is “poor” or “very poor”

Violence and abuse against retail workers soared last year, with the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) crime survey revealing that the number of incidents rose to 1,300 per day in 2022/23 from almost 870 per day the year before.

This rise comes despite retailers investing heavily in crime prevention, spending £1.2bn on measures such as CCTV, increased security personnel, and body worn cameras, up from £722m the previous year. The cost of theft to retailers went up to £1.8bn from £953m the previous year, meaning the total cost of crime to retailers stood at £3.3bn – double the previous year.

The BRC’s annual crime survey highlights the scale of violence and abuse faced by people working in retail. Incidents, which include racial abuse, sexual harassment, physical assault, and threats with weapons, are now on a par with the levels seen during the pandemic, when staff bore the brunt of some people’s frustration with Covid safety measures.

While the total number of incidents climbed, dissatisfaction with the police increased, with 60% of respondents describing the police response to incidents as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.

Retailers are calling on the Government to introduce a standalone offence of assaulting, threatening, or abusing a retail worker. This would send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated, making retail workers feel safer in the workplace.

It would also mean the police have data that allows them to understand the scale of the issue, and to allocate sufficient resources to deal with it.

This would ensure that retail workers have the same protection under the law as they do in Scotland, where a similar offence was introduced in 2021.



Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:
“Despite retailers investing huge sums in crime prevention, violence and abuse against retail workers is climbing.

“With over 1,300 incidents every day, government can no longer ignore the plight of ordinary, hardworking retail colleagues. Teenagers taking on their first job, carers looking for part-time work, parents working around childcare.

“And while the violence can be over in a moment, the victims carry these experiences with them for a lifetime. And we all know the impact does not stop there – it affects their colleagues, friends, and the family our colleagues go home to. This is a crisis that demands action now.

“Criminals are being given a free pass to steal goods and to abuse and assault retail colleagues. No one should have to go to work fearing for their safety.

“The Protection of Workers Act in Scotland already provides additional protection to retail workers, so why should our hardworking colleagues south of the border be offered less protection?

“It is vital that government takes action – introducing a new standalone offence for assaulting or abusing a retail worker.”



Katy Bourne OBE, Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner and APCC Lead for Business Crime, said: “The levels of retail crime described in this report reveal an unprecedented level of selfish lawlessness.

“Every day, retail staff are facing the consequences of shoplifters’ brazen behaviour and that’s why I have supported the call for a specific offence of assault on a shopworker.

“Our courts need to work more efficiently, and shoplifters need to be deterred from re-offending. That’s why I’m calling for my fellow Police & Crime Commissioners to focus their police forces on tackling shoplifting by making it a priority in their local Police & Crime Plans.”

First Minister’s warm words won’t give shopworkers the break they deserve on New Year’s Day says Usdaw

Retail trade union Usdaw is disappointed with the response of Scotland’s First Minister, Humza Yousaf, to a question from Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie about closing large retail stores on New Year’s Day 2024, so that retail workers can spend the day with their loved ones.

The exchange took place in the Scottish Parliament at today’s First Minister’s Questions. The Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Trading (Scotland) Act 2007 barred large stores from opening on Christmas Day and gave the Scottish Government powers to introduce a similar ban on New Year’s Day. However the SNP Government continues to refuse to use that power to give shopworkers a proper festive break.

Tracy Gilbert – Usdaw’s Regional Secretary for Scotland says: “The First Minister’s warm words about ‘fair work’ and taking another look at this issue is too little too late.

“It won’t mean much to our members while the Scottish Government continually refuses to enact their power to stop the opening of large stores on New Year’s Day. They have persistently not listened to the 98% of Scottish shopworkers who want stores to close. Too many will now being going to work on 1 January next year when they’d rather be somewhere else.

“Our members are deeply disappointed with the attitude of the Scottish Government. Retail staff have work every day to keep our communities fed and healthy, face high levels of abuse and are now dealing with a very busy run up to the festive season. The very least these key workers deserve is that the Scottish Government shows their appreciation for the essential work they do by giving them a proper festive break.”

Usdaw asks customers to ‘keep your cool’ at Christmas

Scottish shopworkers speak out about violence, threats and abuse

Retail trade union Usdaw is asking customers to ‘keep your cool’ as the busy pre- Christmas shopping gets underway, which will culminate in what the retail industry has already dubbed ‘Super Saturday’, with 23 December being the last full shopping day before Christmas.

Shocking statistics from Usdaw’s annual survey of shopworkers shows there are still far too many incidents of violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers. Interim results from over 3,000 retail staff responses show that in the last twelve months:

·         65% have experienced verbal abuse.

·         42% were threatened by a customer.

·         5% were assaulted.

·         71% of verbal abuse was caused by customer frustration.

Scottish voices from the frontline:

These are some of the comments Scottish shopworkers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:

Central Scotland: “Customer wasn’t happy about something and took it out on me with shouting.” – “Most abuse when asking for ID for age identification.” – “Customer wasn’t sold alcohol and became verbally aggressive, they left but I felt shaken.”

Glasgow: “Shouting at me, getting in my face, calling me names, saying I’m useless, swearing, using derogatory female terms.” – “Pregnant member of staff got assaulted with a solar light.” – “Attacked in the car park finishing shift.”

Highlands and Islands: “Have been pushed and punched.” – “Called horrible name and barged past by a customer who I asked to leave because he is barred for shoplifting.”

Lothian: “Threats to stab us, wait for us to finish etc.” – “Customers who are drunk issuing vague threats, personal insults.” – “Touched by a male customer, he got angry, called me a rat and a lesbian because I didn’t want to be touched.”

Mid-Scotland and Fife: “Verbal abuse daily, at Christmas get threats.” – “Threatened to get punched and verbal abuse.” – “Challenging shoplifters on a daily basis and dealing with anti-social behaviour.” – “Grabbed me from behind.”

North East Scotland: “Customer said they liked my hair then pulled it.” – “Intentionally swung his basket at me after being told the alcohol aisle was closed.” – “Swearing directed towards me when asking shoplifter to leave the store.”

South Scotland: “Abuse from youths on a daily basis – threats and violence from shoplifters under the influence of drink and drugs.” – “Customer spit in my face after assaulting security.” – “Hit with packs of cakes and called a fat lazy cow.”

West Scotland: “Hit in the face by a drunk man with a basket.” – “Someone tried to hit me with a bottle.” – “Shouted at about queues, items not in stock or wanting a refund on an item that has been used and no receipt.”

Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “It is heart-breaking to hear these testimonies from Scottish 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 retail staff.

“It is shocking that two-thirds of our members working in retail stores are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. Seven in ten of these incidents were triggered by customers being frustrated with stock shortages, lack of staff or problems with self-service checkouts.

“All of these problems are largely outside the control of retail staff, but they are the people who bear the brunt of shoppers’ anger. Our members tell us that incidents of verbal abuse are much worse in the run up to Christmas, when shops are busy, customers are stressed and things can boil over.

“That is why we are asking customers to ‘keep your cool’ and respect shopworkers, to make the Christmas shopping experience better for everyone.”