A new campaign is being launched urging shoppers to ensure a safe and respectful environment for retail staff and fellow customers in the run up to Christmas.
The Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) and trade union Usdaw made the appeal after a recent survey revealed concerning levels of abuse towards shop workers.
Usdaw’s study found 69% faced verbal abuse, and 45% have been threatened by customers in the past year.
Retail is the north’s largest private sector employer with approximately 100,000 people directly working in the industry.
“While this time of year can be a little stressful, any mistreatment of store colleagues and delivery drivers will not be tolerated,” said NIRC director, Neil Johnston.
“Confrontations, be it verbal abuse or physical assault, can take a huge toll on victims, their families and their colleagues.”
Usdaw General Secretary Paddy Lillis said retail workers deserve far more respect than they receive.
“It is shocking that over two-thirds are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence,” he said.
“Seven in ten of these incidents were triggered by theft from shops, which is clearly the result of a significant increase in police recorded shoplifting.
“This week Usdaw activists are campaigning in their workplaces and communities calling on the shopping public to ‘respect shop workers’ and ‘keep your cool’, particularly in the runup to Christmas when the number of incidents increases as shops get busy and customers become frustrated.
“This is a hugely important issue for our members, and they are saying loud and clear that enough is enough.”
