SHOCKING statistics have been released about shopkeepers across the region being threatened with violence and abuse.
They have been released by retail trade union Usdaw and coincides with Shopworkers Week which began on Monday and runs until Sunday.
More than 2,000 retail staff in the West Midlands were quizzed with 85 per cent saying they had experienced verbal abuse.
Of those questioned, 76 per cent said the abuse had been worse during the Covid-19 pandemic – 57 per cent were threatened by a customer and nine per cent were assaulted.
In Coventry and Warwickshire one employee said they had food thrown at them when they were telling a customer about limits on items, while others reported incidents of verbal abuse in isolated areas and about social distancing.
Usdaw is now calling on the Government for legislation to protect shopworkers and has launched a petition to back up its plea.
It is currently up to more than 76,000 signatures.
Click here for the petition and sign it.
