Every day, there are over 1300 incidents of violence and abuse against shopworkers – just for doing their jobs.

"Colleagues have been reduced to tears due to this abuse. One man threatened to rape me, and another time, I was punched in the face by a fully grown man and suffered jaw injuries." 

In just the past year, racial abuse, sexual harassment, physical assaults and threats with weapons against shopworkers rose 50%. Many shopworkers fear going to work, knowing they will face violence and intimidation.

No one should have to fear for their safety in the workplace, but in some areas the police are not pursuing serious crime in retail stores – so when shopworkers ring to report a crime, nobody shows up. 71% of serious retail crime is not responded to by police. This rises as high as 90% in some areas.

Shopworkers are asked to regulate the sale of dangerous items like acid and knives, and it's that enforcement which often provides the flashpoint for violence and abuse. If lawmakers ask shopworkers to uphold the law, they should ensure shopworkers receive protection under the law – by giving police the resources they need and creating a standalone offence of assaulting a shopworker across the UK, like that which already exists in Scotland.

We believe in making attacks on our frontline workers a priority. Agree? Sign your name.