As shops in Essex start to reopen, Chris Vince, the Labour Party candidate for next year’s Police and Crime Commissioner elections has reminded shoppers to help retail workers by following the social distancing rules and showing respect.

Unfortunately, even before the Covid-19 restrictions came into place, shop workers saw on average 115 incidents a day, just for doing their jobs. According to research carried out last year by the Co-operative, one in four of these incidents involved a weapon, including guns and knives.

The message is clear that violence, threats, and abuse are not part of the job.

Chris Vince said:

“Staff are working hard to help customers as stores reopen, but we must all treat them with respect. This isn’t just a crime against a business, it is violence against a human. Everyone should feel safe at work.

 

Retail workers are responsible for restricting the sale of alcohol, knives, glue and now the implementation of social distancing. It is an important civic responsibility that too often goes unrecognised.”

 

Chris urged any retails who are not already a member of a trade union to become a member of one and emphasised the work of USDAW’s ‘Freedom from Fear’ campaign which showed that even before the Covid-19 crisis that last year the abuse and assaults on retail workers was up by 25%!