C OV E R
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UNDER ATTACK
Retail violence remains high, but local shops are fighting back with record investment in crime prevention measures, research shows.
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● 61% said they were not confident
● 90% have experienced verbal abuse;
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “It is shocking that nine in 10 of our members working in retail are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and vio-
buse, threats and violence against shopworkers remain high and confidence in reporting incidents is low, trade union Usdaw’s annual survey reveals. The survey of nearly 3,500 retail staff shows that in the past 12 months:
● 64% were threatened by a customer;
● 12% were assaulted; that reporting abuse, threats and violence will make a difference.
10 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 95 / WEDNESDAY 9TH MARCH 2022
lence. Particularly concerning is the onethird increase in assaults, up from 9% in 2020 to 12% in 2021. So it is extremely worrying that nearly two-thirds are not confident that reporting these issues will make any difference. “Violence and abuse is not an acceptable part of the job and it is truly horrific that shopworkers are having to face it on a daily basis. Although the situation
