Exclusive:
A poll by trade union Usdaw has found thousands of workers are facing violence threats and sexual abuse at the hands of thieves as shoplifters run rampant
Shop workers have laid bare the horrifying scale of abuse and violence they are facing, with shoplifting the primary cause.
Respondents to a survey by trade union Usdaw said they had been held up at knifepoint, hit with trollies or baskets and had items hurled at them, as retail crime soars. Female workers also described being taunted with sexual comments and having their buttocks smacked.
Results from the poll, of more than 4,000 workers, found 69% had been verbally abused in the past 12 months, 45% had been threatened and 17% had been assaulted.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, said of the shocking figures: “Seven in 10 of these incidents were triggered by theft from shops, which is clearly the result of a 29% increase in police recorded shoplifting over the year to June.
“Theft from shops is not a victimless crime. Last year, there was £3billion lost from firms having to bring in additional security measures and money lost to shoplifting. Somewhere along the line, that cost gets passed to the consumer. There’s a human element with people being abused and a financial element.
“There is also a cost to the NHS with retail workers going off sick or needing help for mental health.”
The figures, shared with the Mirror, which has an ongoing Clamp Down on Shoplifting campaign, have been released to mark Respect for Shopworkers Week, which starts today.
The statistics come as the Justice and Home Affairs Committee set out 15 measures to tackle shop theft last week. The Labour Party has pledged to tackle shoplifting in its Crime and Policing Bill, target organised gangs and increase police patrols.
Retailers, industry bodies and Usdaw will be visiting Parliament tomorrow to talk about how they can end the shoplifting scourge.
Michelle’s Story
Michelle Whitehead, 51, who has worked in the convenience store sector since 2003, has noticed retail crime has become worse, especially as the run-up to Christmas kicks off.
She said: “We have incidents daily and sometimes more now. It feels like we are easy targets.”
Michelle, of Wolverhampton, said: “Earlier this year, a man came in with half a garden shear. People have also come in with machetes.
“You feel like your life is at risk. I love my job, but if things don’t change, I am going to have to think about a different career.”
She believes in tighter sentencing and supports a planned law to make assaulting a shop worker a standalone offence. She added: “We need more police on the streets.”
