MPs call for new protection of shopworkers law

The committee, a cross-party committee of MPs responsible for scrutinising the work of the Home Office and its associated bodies, has today (29 June) published a report following a lengthy inquiry that heard evidence from across the retail industry. It calls for urgent improvement in reporting and responding to retail crime, including:

• The expansion of neighbourhood policing teams who can rebuild relationships with retailers, identify prolific offenders and respond quickly to local reports of retail crime.
• Proper recording of violence against shopworkers including mandatory recording of offences committed in a retail environment to allow for better monitoring of the scale of the problem and patterns of local crime.
• A new criminal offence to send a powerful and long overdue message that assaults on retail workers will not be tolerated, with the government urged to consult urgently on the scope of the new offence.
• Police and crime commissioners and chief constables to provide local leadership in giving greater priority to retail crime and the creation of Business Crime Reduction Partnerships for all areas, including supporting small independent shops.
• An Employers Charter setting out how employers should support and protect staff including reporting, security measures, training, counselling, and banning prolific offenders.
• Safer Streets Fund resources to support measures on high streets and retail settings.

In addition, the report highlights the need for renewed focus and action on the causes of retail crime, including theft linked to organised crime and in particular the consequences of drug addiction. The committee calls for local drug rehabilitation services to be adequately and sustainably funded to help break the cycle of prolific offending.

Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Yvette Cooper, said: “Shopworkers are the lifeblood of our local high streets and communities. During the Covid-19 pandemic, retail workers kept our communities going and they deserve our thanks and gratitude. It is even more shameful, then, that abuse and assaults against shopworkers went up during the pandemic, and it is completely unacceptable that these attacks have become so commonplace in our society.

“Yet too often the police have not taken these crimes seriously enough and workers have been left to deal with the traumatic consequences alone. Those who abuse and assault shop workers must not be allowed to reoffend with impunity. Policing leaders must step up and make this a priority for local forces – with more neighbourhood police, clear plans to identify repeat offenders, respond to incidents swiftly and better record and understand patterns of local crimes.”

In response, ACS chief executive James Lowman, said: “This is a landmark report that should form the blueprint for tackling retail crime and violence against retailers and shopworkers. The report has identified the right measures to improve police response and the courts treatment of repeat offenders, particularly those with addiction problems that need effective rehabilitation.

“Existing powers, structures and legislation are not working. We need meaningful change, and the government should adopt all the committee’s recommendations.”

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, added: “We hope this report will prompt the government to finally do what is necessary to protect retail staff from harm across the country and stop dragging its feet – this could be achieved through an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill which is currently going through parliament.”

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, said: “Usdaw is ready to engage with the police, local authorities and employers to make a success of these measures. All of them can make a real difference to the experience of our members, but they must be backed up with the new legislation.

“When retail employers, leading retail bodies and the shopworkers’ trade union jointly call for legislation, it is time for then government and MPs to listen. In Scotland, MSPs voted through a new ground-breaking law to give shopworkers the protection they deserve. We are now looking for MPs to support key workers across the retail sector and help turn around the UK government’s opposition.”