Shopworkers and retailers need to be involved in tackling crime at work. Partnerships with the police and government offer a solution

The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium's Annual Crime Survey make for depressing reading. Violent acts against staff are up 50% and threats of violence against staff have doubled, while the number of incidents of verbal abuse, threats of violence and physical abuse has increased one-third in the past year and the number of incidents per store is up 18%.

Clearly, something needs to be done to address this escalating problem. That's why at the Labour Party conference last week, Usdaw co-hosted a fringe meeting with the BRC called Respect for shops - Respect for shop workers. Fortunately, in Jacqui Smith, we have a home secretary who takes this issue seriously and has pledged to work with stakeholders. It was great to hear her congratulate us on our pioneering Freedom from Fear campaign to protect shopworkers from violence, threats and abuse and describe our work with employers as an opportunity to get crime and disorder reduction partnerships engaged with the issue.

She also talked about three key government initiatives: Not in my Neighbourhood Week, which will showcase what local communities can do to prevent retail crime; a £15m project funding the installation of improved security systems; and the National Retail Crime Steering Group.

But central government, local government, unions, retailers, employers and employees still need to work together much harder to deliver real results. It's people like Tracy Low, a shopworker and Usdaw member, who are too often in the frontline. She described the effect of violence, threats and abuse on her staff who, she said, were subjected to constant abuse and lack of respect. Listening to her first hand account, you could only draw one conclusion: this is simply not acceptable and has to be stopped.

The good news is that the likes of Andy Pope of the Co-operative Group and Kevin Hawkins of the BRC - representing employers at the meeting - are from organisations committed to engaging with government on the issue. This is imperative. Businesses need to work with government and the police to develop anti-crime initiatives and a partnership approach is the way forward. Usdaw refuses to accept the view that taking abuse is a part of the job that workers should accept. This is not a victimless crime, because behind the statistics are real people.

Usdaw's Freedom from Fear campaign has four objectives. Firstly, staff protection and crime prevention must be at the top of employers' agendas. Secondly, public awareness of the issues must be raised and the message that it is unacceptable put across. Thirdly, we must give members confidence to raise issues rather than live with the problem. Finally, we must raise awareness with the government and police to create a partnership

approach.

Shopworkers and retailers must become more involved in tackling crime. Only 15% of retailers had been in contact with crime and disorder reduction partnerships, even though 80% of those retailers had found this helpful, according to an Usdaw survey of shop managers.

Our campaigning and the work of employers has put retail crime on the government's agenda. The issues of violence, threats and abuse from customers is important to shopworkers and Usdaw will continue to promote policies that will protect our members at work.n

John Hannett is the general secretary of Usdaw