USDAW, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers has launched a campaign in south Wales to tackle the rising tide of violence, threats and abuse against shop workers across the region.
The campaign - called Freedom from Fear - is being rolled out in Wales to summon action from the Assembly Government to improve employers' support for a safe working environment in their stores, backed by leading south Wales law firm, Leo Abse & Cohen.
The First Minister Rhodri Morgan and Chair of the Culture and Communities Committee, AM Janice Gregory, today led Assembly Members to sign a giant Christmas card pledging to 'Keep it Cool at Christmas' and show their respect for shopworkers in the lead up to the stressful Christmas period.
Over 63% of shopworkers in the UK, including Wales, have suffered verbal abuse from customers in the past year according to the union - the equivalent of almost one in five shopworkers being abused every week - with staff at convenience store most at risk.
Thirty three percent have been threatened and almost one in ten shopworkers in the UK have been a victim of violence by a customer during their career, shows the latest survey by USDAW.
It's not just young people and 'hoodies' who are responsible for such anti-social behaviour. USDAW says that violence and abuse against shopworkers is often caused by the most unlikely perpetrators.
John Hannett, General Secretary at USDAW said the campaign will not only provide a vital platform for shop workers to speak out to their employers about their experiences. It will encourage employers to commit to supporting local crime reduction schemes and to work with police and local councils to reduce instances of abuse to shop workers in Wales.
He said: "For too long shopworkers have felt they have to put up with violence, verbal abuse or threats as a customary part of their job.
It is not just incidents of physical assault that pose a daily threat to shopworkers. A racist remark or rude comment can leave them feeling shaken and vulnerable for a long time after the incident. In some cases the experience is so traumatic, they feel they can't return to work and even change their jobs.
"We really want our message to hit home that abuse is not part of the job. Most of the big employers completely agree with our message and some have even displayed joint statements with the union reminding customers that abusive and violent behaviour will not be tolerated.
"We are determined to work with retailers, local councils and the police to rid our shops of this criminal and anti-social behaviour."
USDAW are negotiating a whole shopping list of issues to improve the safety and security for shopworkers in Wales such as encouraging employers to sign an updated Respect Charter, and work in partnership with councils and police to support local crime reduction schemes.
Employers are also being encouraged to display respect signs in their shops, and implement safe and effective reporting systems to capture information about incidents of abuse and ensure they are properly reviewed. USDAW are also working to provide checklists for store staff and managers to check that employer's policies are working properly in their workplace.
Janice Gregory AM said: "I know how hard shopworkers will be working to provide us all with a service in the run up to the festive season. They shouldn't have to worry about verbal abuse, threats and violence while they're working to ensure we have a good Christmas."
Richard Norman, partner at Leo Abse & Cohen, said: "We handle cases for a number of clients who have suffered abuse in the workplace. In our experience their ordeal lasts far longer than the incident in question, and often affects their confidence and trust in customers for the rest of their lives. We must also recognise the cost and disruption that it causes to businesses, as well as the knock-on effects for local communities and consumers. By joining forces with USDAW, we hope to raise the profile of the issue in Wales and place pressure on employers, Government and police to tackle the issue."
The Freedom from Fear campaign is being launched as part of Respect for Shop Workers Week, which takes place across the UK from 3-7 November.