Grahame Morris MP highlighted the need to tackle violence against shopworkers.

Grahame is pictured above with Paddy Lillis, the General Secretary of the Shopworkers Union USDAW.

USDAW estimates that four hundred shopworkers are assaulted per day at work,[1] despite £1.2bn investment by the retail industry in crime prevention measures.

“I was appalled to learn that The Crime Report 2020, compiled by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) estimated that there were 50,338 incidents of violence against people working in local shops, 25% of these resulting in injuries to colleagues. This is deeply worrying, and I welcome USDAW’s asks to the Government to improve working conditions for shopworkers,”

Grahame Morris said.

The retail sector is united in demanding urgent action from the Government, police and the justice system:
* Tougher penalties for attacks on shopworkers
* More effective interventions for repeat shop thieves, who are often stealing to feed a drug addiction
* To include crime and violence in Police and Crime Commissioners’ plans making this a priority issue in every police force
* A review of police response to retail violence, focusing new resources on community policing to promote a consistent response across all force areas.
#itsnotpartofthejob

[1] Usdaw Freedom from Fear Survey