Home > News > Campaigns > MP supports Usdaw’s ‘Respect week’

Burry Port Town Cllr Jean Hire, shopper Madelaine Phillips, Co-op shopworker Barbara Taylor, shop manager Anthony Evans and Burry Port Town Cllr Ken Edwards

Nia Griffith MP was joined last Friday in Burry Port Co-op by Burry Port Labour Councillors Jean Hire, Ken Edwards, Shirley Matthews and Pat Jones to highlight Usdaw’s Freedom from Fear Campaign.

Nia said, “Every year shopworkers are threatened, verbally abused and even assaulted. Nearly half of all incidents of abuse result from requests for proof of age or refusing a sale of an age-restricted product. The Freedom from Fear Campaign teaches shoppers and shopworkers that they should be free from the fear of violence, threats and verbal abuse and that it should never be accepted as just part of the job.”

 “This campaign highlights the problems shopworkers face, particularly during the festive season when incidents of verbal abuse can increase dramatically. In the run up to Christmas, customers are stressed, stores are busy and sometimes things can boil over. That’s why we are asking shoppers to show respect for shopworkers and to ‘Keep your cool at Christmas’.”

You can learn more about Usdaw’s Respect week and Freedom from Fear Campaign at http://www.usdaw.org.uk/ourcampaigns/freedomfromfear.aspx