Time to counter shop staff abuse

MP Debbie Abrahams is happy to help a campaign which aims to cut abuse towards shopworkers.

The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP has joined members of the retail union Usdaw to promote respect towards staff as part of the Freedom From Fear Campaign to prevent violence, threats and abuse.

She is also backing the union’s call for shoppers to “keep your cool” during Respect for Shopworkers Week which runs until Sunday. The crusade aims to remind shoppers that retail staff are real people who do not deserve to be abused, threatened or assaulted.

The Usdaw retail crime annual survey shows that every minute of every day another shopworker is verbally abused, threatened or physically attacked.

Last month, Mrs Abrahams supported an amendment in Parliament to the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill, which would have introduced a specific additional offence of assaulting a worker serving the public.

Mrs Abrahams said: “Too often retail employees are confronted with violence, threats and abuse and it is really important we stand by together and ask people to ‘keep their cool and respect shopworkers’.”
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