Petition against abuse of shopworkers reaches first milestone

The petition now has more than 30,000 signatures and Usdaw is continuing to campaign for the 100,000 signatures that should trigger a parliamentary debate.

The UK’s largest convenience store retailer Co-op Food, along with the industry’s leading trade bodies the British Retail Consortium and the Association of Convenience Stores have backed the petition.

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, said: “We are delighted that the petition has already reached the first milestone, which requires the government to respond. It is no surprise, because this is a hugely important issue for our members and, with incidents of abuse doubling during the Covid-19 crisis they are saying loud and clear that enough is enough, abuse should never be just a part of the job.

“I am grateful to the employers for supporting the petition. When retailers and the trade union for shop workers unite in a call for action, it should be time for the government to sit up, listen to our concerns and deliver much-needed protection for staff.”

He added: “I urge the government to respond positively to my petition, listen to the voices of shop workers and employers and commit to legislating for stiffer penalties for those who assault workers. They have talked about zero-tolerance, but that means very little if it is not backed up by strong actions.”

The petition can be signed here.