SHOPWORKERS are increasingly abused by “hardened criminals” as the government fails to deal with an “epidemic” of retail crime, Usdaw warned today.

Nearly one in five workers suffered a violent attack last year — more than double the 8 per cent recorded in 2022, the retail trade union’s annual survey found.

Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: “Our members have reported that they are often faced with hardened career criminals and we know that retail workers are much more likely to be abused by those who are stealing to sell goods on.

“Our latest survey results show that seven in 10 retail workers suffered abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence.

“Theft from shops and armed robbery were triggers for 61 per cent of these incidents.”

He said: “It is shocking that nearly a fifth of our members working in retail are being assaulted for simply doing their job and serving the community. 

“Violence and abuse is not an acceptable part of the job and much more needs to be done to protect shopworkers.

“The government has repeatedly failed to act in the face of an epidemic of retail crime, rising theft from shops and assaults against retail workers.”

He expressed disappointment that ministers have failed to put forward any measures to tackle this issue as he backed opposition amendments to beef up protection of shopworkers in the government’s Criminal Justice Bill.

“A protection of shopworkers law is also supported by many retailers,” Mr Lillis said.

“It already exists in Scotland and has secured more than 500 convictions.

“We also need more neighbourhood police with patrols in town centres, respect orders to ban repeat offenders and an end to the £200 threshold for investigating and prosecuting shop theft. Most of all, we ask the public to support our campaign by respecting shopworkers.”

The union said its study found that in the last year 43 per cent of respondents had been threatened by a customer and 18 per cent assaulted.

Its report warned that “short-staffing is an element of nearly three-quarters of incidents, whether that is generally around the store or specifically at self-service checkouts.”

Although harassment made up 37 per cent of the triggers for abuse, 54 per cent of non-white workers experienced racial harassment and 41 per cent of all women suffered sexism, rising to 56 per cent of under-27s.