Attacks on retail workers 'horrifying'

Attacks on retail workers are 'completely horrifying', GMB Union has said in response to a new survey.

The poll, by the Retail Trust, shows 77 per cent of shop staff have experienced intimidating behaviour in the past year and 23 per cent were physically assaulted.

A further 43 per cent said they are being abused or attacked every week, a 10 per cent rise on last year. [1]

During a recent GMB survey [2], Asda workers said they had been:

• stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes

• spat at, suffered broken bones, been hit with bottles and had death threats against them and their children.

• Delivery drivers had been chased by people in cars and been confronted by customers in the nude

• store workers have had watermelons and joints of gammon thrown at them

Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer, said:

"GMB members in retail have been stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes while trying to do their job.

"It's completely horrifying - no one should have suffer this kind of abuse and violence at work.

"Retail employers need to ensure they have adequate staff and security to prevent this happening - and rock-solid procedures in place to support staff when it does."