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USDAW

Bournemouth came alive to the sound of music last Thursday – as UNI Commerce affiliate Usdaw took its highly successful Freedom From Fear campaign to the Labour Party Conference.

Delegates watched the video of campaign song 'Respect' on the huge display screens in the main conference hall. It was the latest in a series of significant events that has made the campaign against violence towards shopworkers such a remarkable success story.

Usdaw Deputy General Secretary John Hannett told delegates that he was proud to be leading a campaign that had received praise and support from a wide spectrum of society.

"In 2002, 16,200 shopworkers were assaulted, 48,600 were threatened and 70,000 were verbally abused," he told the conference. "There is real human suffering behind these statistics."

Usdaw launched its Freedom From Fear campaign to raise awareness of the problem of physical violence and abuse levelled at shopworkers by customers.

On 17th September, Usdaw organised a National Respect for Shopworkers Day with events held in over 100 towns and cities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The campaign has received huge support, with Prime Minister Tony Blair and Home Secretary David Blunkett among those to sign cards pledging to show respect to shopworkers.