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Retail Workers: Protection
11 February 2020
Lead MP
Mike Amesbury
Weaver Vale
Lab
Responding Minister
Kit Malthouse
Tags
Policing & ResourcesCrime & Law EnforcementEmployment
Word Count: 8594
Other Contributors: 19
At a Glance
Mike Amesbury raised concerns about retail workers: protection in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The Government should review how assaults on retail employees are handled and ensure that staff challenging shoplifting or age-related sales are protected. A separate offence of assaulting someone serving the public would send a message that violence against retail workers is not acceptable. The Minister needs to commit to including measures in an upcoming Bill to protect English and Welsh retail workers, similar to what has been done in Scotland. The Government should legislate to protect shop workers and create a specific offence for assault on retail workers. They should also review the £200 shoplifting limit and consider the role of organised crime gangs in attacks on shops.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Retail workers in the UK face increasing violence and threats from members of the public. According to the British Retail Consortium, up to 115 retail workers are attacked each day, while USDAW estimates around 280 shop workers are assaulted daily. Despite retailers spending nearly £1 billion on crime prevention last year alone, assaults continue to rise. Many retail workers suffer panic attacks and anxiety after experiencing violence at work, with some being too traumatised to return. Retailers need legally set standards of behaviour from the public, and there is a lack of sentencing for cases where clear video footage of an assault exists. 115 retail workers have been attacked daily since the call for evidence closed, totalling 24,000 attacks. The Association of Convenience Stores estimates that 300,000 retail workers have faced either attacks or threats during this period. Police numbers have declined by 21,000 under this Government.
Alex Norris
Lab Co-op
Nottingham North and Kimberley
Questions whether Members of Parliament have a special responsibility towards retail workers given the restrictions placed on retailers by law, implying a need for better support for these workers.
Supports the idea that being part of a good trade union like USDAW provides protection for workers in the retail sector, citing better practices by organisations such as Co-op compared to major retailers.
Carla Lockhart
DUP
Upper Bann
She thanked the hon. Member for giving way and highlighted a recent attack on a lone worker in a rural shop, suggesting that there needs to be tougher sentencing and more involvement from the police.
Warrington North
Retail workers, often on zero-hours contracts with poor terms and conditions, face a significant risk of violence. This includes enforcing laws like age-related sales restrictions which trigger abuse from customers. The debate calls for an end to such workplace violence, including reforming the criminal injuries compensation scheme and sentencing legislation.
Raises concerns about large retailers discouraging trade union membership and suggests naming and shaming companies that do so as a form of protection for workers.
Gareth Thomas
Lab Co-op
Harrow West
Highlights Dr Emmeline Taylor's seven recommendations to address the growing level of violence against shop workers, including reviewing the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, promoting zero-tolerance campaigns, and improving data accuracy for better understanding and tackling such crimes.
Questions the £200 compensation threshold for violence against retail staff, arguing it does not reflect the severe personal consequences faced by workers from such incidents. Asked the Minister about sentencing and available sentences.
Jack Dromey
Lab
Birmingham Erdington
He highlighted the rising tide of violence against shop workers, citing specific incidents where staff faced physical and verbal abuse. He emphasised that retail crime needs to be prioritised by the police service, including faster response times due to a loss of 20,000 officers. Dromey called for tougher sentencing to deter such assaults.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Emphasises the importance of a visible community policing presence on high streets as a deterrent against retail crime and supports the use of CCTV alongside police patrols.
Liz Twist
Lab
Blaydon and Consett
Highlights the significance of retail jobs in her constituency and calls for action following a call for evidence that concluded on 28 June last year, emphasizing the need for tangible steps beyond gathering more data.
Congratulates the lead MP on securing a debate with high attendance and expresses appreciation for shop workers in her constituency while praising the British Retail Consortium's campaign efforts.
Martin Vickers
Con
Brigg and Immingham
Acknowledges that police in Humberside do not treat the £200 threshold as absolute and will prioritize cases based on their severity, urging the Minister to convey this message nationwide.
Meg Hillier
Lab Co-op
Hackney South and Shoreditch
She congratulated Mike Amesbury for securing the debate and noted that her constituency has a high percentage of small businesses employing fewer than six people. She highlighted that around 200,000 incidents of violence towards shop workers have been reported since the Government closed their call for evidence, with approximately 12,500 involving Co-operative colleagues. She proposed three asks: publishing an interim response to the call for evidence; ensuring proper support for employees and lone workers through legal requirements; and increasing prosecutions and tougher sentences.
Navendu Mishra
Lab
Stockport
Cites research by USDAW indicating that 62% of retail workers have experienced verbal or physical abuse, advocating for better legal protection and respect for these workers.
Torfaen
Highlights the issue of lone workers in retail and stresses the need for attention to this problem.
Patricia Gibson
SNP
North Ayrshire and Arran
Gibson noted the psychological impact of threats faced by shop workers and expressed frustration over delays in publishing findings from a Home Office call for evidence on violence towards shop staff. She called for Government action to work with retail industry stakeholders to protect shop workers effectively. Inquired whether the Minister had examined measures in Scotland and what lessons could be learned from those efforts.
Shares personal experience witnessing an armed robbery involving a lone female worker and stresses the importance of ensuring staff are not left vulnerable without adequate cover.
Critiques the current £200 threshold for shoplifting, arguing it sends an unacceptable signal that minor thefts will not result in police intervention.
Steven Bonnar
SNP
Coatbridge and Chryston
Mr Bonnar highlighted the increase in assaults and threats faced by retail workers, noting that shop staff are often well-versed in enforcing laws to keep streets safe but lack protection themselves. He mentioned the importance of union representation for shop workers and called for an urgent response from the Government on violence against shop staff.
Government Response
Kit Malthouse
Government Response
It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Gary. I have experienced this issue myself as a young man working behind a bar and witnessed the tension and potential for violence. The Minister highlighted alarming developments in violence towards retail workers and outlined several actions: publishing the response to the call for evidence next month; setting up an intelligence-sharing group through the national retail crime steering group; developing effective messaging about zero-tolerance towards violence; investing £750 million to recruit 6,000 territorial police officers within the first year of a three-year programme to combat street and retail violence; giving the Crown Prosecution Service an extra £85 million for enhanced prosecution abilities. The Minister will write to chief constables and police and crime commissioners regarding their data on this issue and ask candidates in upcoming May elections to address it. He also committed to considering additional measures like sentencing guidelines based on aggravating factors, looking at international practices, and aiming to make high streets peaceful and attractive places.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.