North East Shop Workers Face Horrific Abuse and Violence Increase

Shop workers in the North East face abuse, and some even deal with physical attacks. Usdaw, a retail union, shared some alarming data showing abuse against shop staff keeps growing. Violence is still double what it was before the pandemic, indicating retail crime is a major problem there.

Paddy Lillis, who leads the Usdaw union, spoke about the survey results. He stated North East workers have high abuse rates and that nobody should fear going to work. Many retail workers feel unsafe right now due to these factors.

Over 75% of retail workers get abused, with people threatening and assaulting them regularly. These workers are just doing their jobs, serving us, and deserve respect and legal protection. The government is trying do something now to address these issues.

Parliament is considering a new Crime and Policing Bill to address store crime issues. Usdaw wants stronger worker protection laws and hopes to end the low shoplifting prosecution threshold. They also want “Respect Orders” enacted within the region.

Usdaw surveyed 338 North East retail workers, revealing disturbing statistics. In the last year, 83% faced verbal abuse, and a stunning 62% received threats. Sadly, 10% of them were actually assaulted, numbers all above the national averages.

Workers shared disturbing survey comments highlighting the realities of their work. A County Durham worker said they were attacked and another was hit while pregnant by a drug addict. Someone else mentioned swearing over ID checks too.

Northumberland workers share similar concerns about thieves and workplace violence. Thieves no longer care, one said, while workers get shouted at for just approaching. Another worker was pushed and threatened with violence, also, needles and knives were brandished.

Tees Valley workers deal with distinct problems. Some strangers have asked about finishing times and threatened harm after work, creating a fearful environment. One worker was called offensive names and someone even threw wine bottles at them.

Tyne & Wear also experiences terrible incidents of abuse. A customer threatened to damage property and said they’d wait outside after work. Furthermore, one worker had a shopping basket thrown at them, and someone even got angry about paying for some sauce.