Latest news with #PaddyLillis
South Wales Argus
29-07-2025
- South Wales Argus
Shoplifting across Gwent rises by 27 per cent
The Office for National Statistics released police recorded crime statistics showing a three per cent increase in shoplifting incidents across Wales with Gwent constabulary area seeing the largest rise. A recent survey by Usdaw of nearly 9,500 retail staff showed that more than three-quarters had suffered verbal abuse and far too many had been threatened or assaulted. Two-thirds of respondents said that incidents of violence, threats and abuse they had experienced were triggered by theft or armed robbery. Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, said: 'The scale of the epidemic of retail crime in Wales is laid bare in these shocking police recorded crime statistics and Usdaw's own survey. "It is increasingly common for retail stores to be targeted by organised crime gangs stealing to order. 'We have campaigned along with many retail employers for substantial legislative measures to combat this growing problem, and we are pleased that the UK government has introduced the Crime and Policing Bill, with measures to tackle this issue. "It has passed all stages in the House of Commons and is now waiting for a second reading in the House of Lords. 'We now look forward to a much-needed protection of retail workers' law; ending the indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals; and funding for more uniformed officer patrols in shopping areas, along with Respect Orders for offenders. It is our hope that these new measures will help give retail workers the respect they deserve.'
South Wales Argus
10-07-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Torfaen MP marks National Retail Workers' Day alongside USDAW Union
The day, on July 5, focusses on the importance of retail jobs and retail workers, and provides an opportunity to thank all retail workers for the hard work they do for local communities. Usdaw represents hundreds of thousands of workers across the UK retail sector. Mr Thomas-Symonds said: 'Retail workers do an essential job for our economy and our communities, so I was delighted to join local representatives from Usdaw in Cwmbran town centre to mark National Retail Workers' Day, and to send my thanks to all retail workers across Torfaen.' Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary said: 'We welcome the support of Nick and the Labour government for retail workers, who are key workers delivering essential services in our communities and wider economy. "National Retail Workers' Day adds to Usdaw's year-round campaigning for improved workers' rights and negotiating with employers for better terms and conditions. 'In the first year of Labour in government, they are delivering with new rights to help make work pay and jobs more secure, which is the change our members voted for. "Retail workers are at the heart of our communities and are at the core of success in the retail industry, which is crucial to the UK economy and a vital part of high streets. "It is only right that retail workers are valued, respected, and suitably rewarded for the contribution they make.'
Fashion United
30-06-2025
- Fashion United
ShopKind campaign relaunches to combat retail worker abuse
The ShopKind campaign has been relaunched to combat the significant rise in abuse and violence against retail workers across the UK. With retail crime at an unprecedented level, the initiative urges customers to treat staff with respect, emphasizing that aggression is unacceptable and increasingly prevalent. Leading trade bodies and unions, including the British Retail Consortium (BRC), USDAW, and the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), are backing the campaign alongside the Home Office and law enforcement. Retailers like Co-op and Currys are also participating, promoting kindness in-store and on social media using the hashtag #ShopKind. The statistics highlight the severity of the issue: USDAW reports that over 75 percent of retail staff experienced verbal abuse in the past year, with more than half facing threats. Currys has seen a 50 percent increase in retail crime incidents. This widespread intimidation is creating a climate of fear for workers performing their daily duties. The campaign coincides with proposed government legislation aimed at enhancing the protection of retail employees. These measures include considering a new offense for assaulting a retail worker, eliminating police thresholds that allow thefts under £200 to go unpunished, and a commitment to deploying an additional 3,000 neighbourhood police officers to boost high street security. Industry leaders have underscored the importance of ShopKind. Helen Dickinson of the BRC stressed that retail workers deserve to feel safe, while USDAW General Secretary Paddy Lillis called the campaign a crucial reminder that abuse will not be tolerated. Paul Gerrard of Co-op highlighted the necessity of collaborative action among retailers, unions, and law enforcement. Throughout the week, ShopKind messaging will be visible in shops and online, supported by downloadable posters and campaign materials. Organizers intend for the initiative to be more than just a short-term PR effort; they hope it will foster long-term cultural change, establishing kindness as a standard expectation and ensuring that abuse carries genuine consequences.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Co-op workers gain pay boost in line with UK Real Living Wage
British co-operative Co-op's frontline store employees have agreed to a hourly pay rise to a minimum of £12.60 ($16.27), aligning with the organisation's ongoing pledge to pay staff the country's Real Living Wage. The development comes after a vote conducted among members of the Union of Shop Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw). The new wage agreement represent a 27% raise in pay since 2022 - an additional £1,200 annually for full-time customer team members. Co-op's compensation package also features an industry-leading 30% discount on own-brand products for its staff. Co-op operations director Kate McCrae said: "Our store colleagues are at the very heart of the business and we are pleased to be able to provide a reward package that is competitive, above inflation and impactful. This deal reaffirms our ongoing commitment to the Real Living Wage, and ensures Co-op is among the highest food retailers in terms of pay. "We are a growing business, focused on delivering convenience and value for our colleagues, members, customers and communities. We truly value the dedication and hard work of our store teams, and recognise their commitment to bringing to life our co-operative difference in towns, villages and cities all across the UK." The salary for Co-op customer team members will rise in two stages: from £12.00 to £12.30 per hour from 1 April 2025, followed by an additional hike to £12.60 by 1 August - a total increase of 5%. Including paid breaks, this equates to £13.46 per hour for full-timers. For team leaders, wages increase to £13.65 starting 1 April 2025 from £13.32. This will further increase to £13.99 by 1 August. For those working in London, the hourly rate for customer team members will rise from £13.15 to £13.85 by 1 August 2025. London-based team leaders will earn an increase from £14.47 to £15.24. The retailer is continuing to offer comprehensive benefits and support for staff welfare. This includes paid breaks during shifts, annual holiday time ranging from 31 to 38 days for customer team members, and maternity and paternity leave in excess of legal requirements. Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: "Usdaw has a longstanding and valued relationship with the Co-op and we welcome that the staff pay increase is in line with Real Living Wage rates. Our members are key workers in a business that delivers an essential service in our communities and it is only right they are fairly rewarded with a living wage." In February 2025, Co-op acknowledged a total of 107 instances in which it failed to adhere to the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010. "Co-op workers gain pay boost in line with UK Real Living Wage " was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
30-01-2025
- The Independent
Retail crime ‘spiralling out of control' to more than 2,000 incidents a day
Retail crime is 'spiralling out of control' at more than 2,000 incidents a day, according to the latest figures. Incidents including racial and sexual abuse, physical assault and threats with weapons have reached three times the level they were in 2020, when there were 455 incidents a day, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Annual Crime Survey shows. Over the last year, there were 70 incidents a day which involved a weapon – more than double the previous year. Some 61% of respondents described the police response to incidents as 'poor' or 'very poor', although 3% described it as 'excellent' – the first time in five years that any retailers have rated it as such. Theft also reached an all-time high with more than 20 million incidents – or over 55,000 a day – costing retailers £2.2 billion, up from £1.8 billion the previous year. Gangs systematically targeted stores across the country, stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods and rotating around multiple stores, the BRC's survey found. The amount spent on crime prevention is also at a record high, with retailers investing £1.8 billion on measures such as CCTV, more security personnel, anti-theft devices and body worn cameras, up from £1.2 billion the previous year. The total cost of crime reached £4.2 billion, up from £3.3 billion, limiting investment and 'pushing up prices for customers everywhere', the BRC warned. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: 'Retail crime is spiralling out of control. People in retail have been spat on, racially abused, and threatened with machetes. 'Every day this continues, criminals are getting bolder and more aggressive. We owe it to the three million hard-working people working in retail to bring the epidemic of crime to heel. No one should go to work in fear. 'With little faith in police attendance, it is no wonder criminals feel they have licence to steal, threaten, assault and abuse. 'Retailers are spending more than ever before, but they cannot prevent crime alone. We need the police to respond to and handle every reported incident appropriately. 'We look forward to seeing crucial legislation to protect retail workers being put in place later this year. Only if the industry, Government and police work together, can we finally see this awful trend reverse.' Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: 'The scale of the epidemic of retail crime is laid bare in this shocking BRC report. 'Crime has a very direct impact on the viability of stores, as retailers go to increasing lengths and expense to make them secure and safe. Communities are blighted by anti-social behaviour and store closures. Staff are working in fear of the next incident of abuse, threats or violence. 'We have campaigned along with the BRC for substantial legislative measures to combat this growing problem and we are pleased that the Government will be introducing the Crime and Policing Bill, which will meet our aims. That is only part of the fightback against the criminals and we will continue to work closely with retailers to deliver respect for shop workers.' Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of retail industry charity the Retail Trust, said: 'Almost half of the retail workers we've surveyed told us they currently fear for their safety and nearly two thirds are stressed and anxious going to work due to this unacceptable level of retail crime. People are contacting our helpline in their thousands to report horrifying incidents of abuse and violence and many say that they are now at breaking point. 'Retailers are taking the threat to their staff's physical safety extremely seriously and more and more of them are working with the Retail Trust to reduce the terrible toll it is having on their people's mental well-being. But stronger measures are clearly needed to prevent this criminal behaviour from happening in the first place.' Paul Gerrard, Co-op director of campaigns and public affairs, said: 'As a community-based retailer, we see the corrosive impact of retail crime and anti-social behaviour in society and communities. 'Since the Retail Crime Action Plan was published, we have seen an improvement in police attention and our stores have shown signs of recorded crime stabilising or reducing, but numbers are still far too high and our focus on reducing retail crime and ensuring the safety of stores and communities remains a priority. ' More must be done to tackle root causes and prevent re-offending, and we know that effective partnerships can help, as neither business nor police can solve this alone.' Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: 'The rising levels of shop theft and violence against retail staff are utterly unacceptable. 'We will not stand for this. That is why this Government has made clear we will introduce a new specific offence of assaulting a retail worker and end the effective immunity that currently applies for theft of goods under £200. 'And it is why as part of our Safer Streets Mission we are restoring neighbourhood policing, putting thousands of dedicated officers and community support officers back on our streets, and ensuring every community has a named local officer they can turn to.'
