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They are attacked,
spat at, sworn at, insulted: Retail crime is not victimless, says Usdaw's John Hannett, calling for better protection An average week for a shopworker often includes high levels of verbal abuse, threats of violence and, in worst cases, physical attacks, download this survey to find out more. "There is a huge problem with retail crime in the UK. In most cases, it is reported in terms of financial losses - but it is not a victimless crime, as many Usdaw members can testify. All too often, shopworkers find themselves at the wrong end of verbal abuse, threats and physical assaults at work. We must ensure that workers get better protection and improved safety," says Usdaw general secretary John Hannett. Asked for the first time to record every incident over a week-long period, shop staff across the UK listed a catalogue of abusive, anti-social and violent behaviour by customers. The incidents are recorded in a recent survey published by Usdaw, the UK's biggest union for shopworkers, on the occasion of the Usdaw-organised Respect for Shopworkers Week. Over a seven-day period in June 2004, a random sample of 660 shopworkers reported:
Recurrent triggers of violence, threats and verbal abuse included:
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