GMB Union has hit out at the "horrifying" results of a poll revealing more than three quarters of shop workers have been subject to intimidating behaviour while almost one in four have been physically assaulted.
The research, carrier out by the Retail Trust, shows that 77% of shop staff have experienced intimidating behaviour in the past year, and that 23% had been assaulted physically.
In addition, 43% of respondents said they suffer abuse or are attacked every single week - a 10% jump on figures from the previous year.
A recent GMB Union survey of Asda workers revealed that staff had been:
- stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes
- spat at, suffered broken bones, been hit with bottles and had death threats against them and their children.
- Delivery drivers had been chased by people in cars and been confronted by customers in the nude
- store workers have had watermelons and joints of gammon thrown at them
Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer, said: "GMB members in retail have been stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes while trying to do their job.
“It's completely horrifying – no one should have suffer this kind of abuse and violence at work.
“Retail employers need to ensure they have adequate staff and security to prevent this happening - and rock-solid procedures in place to support staff when it does."