Retail groups push to make assault against shop staff a NSW election issue

Retail industry representatives have welcomed NSW Labor’s push to establish harsher penalties for those who assault retail workers, in an attempt to crack down on violence directed at public-facing staff.

A 2016 study found nearly half of Australian retail workers have faced customer abuse, and physical violence and verbal threats towards retail staff rose dramatically in some NSW suburbs through 2021 when COVID-19 restrictions were in full effect.

South Australia bolstered punishments for those who assault shopfront workers late last year, increasing penalties to up to five years’ imprisonment.

Now, NSW Labor says it will champion similar policies if it forms government after the state election on March 25.

“The abuse and violence in and around shops has to stop,” said NSW Shadow minister for industrial relations Sophie Cotsis.

“Recently NSW parliament passed tougher penalties for assaulting a range of essential workers on the job, but not retail workers.

“We called retail workers essential during the pandemic, we have to turn those words into actions by extending essential worker protections at work to these workers as well.

“NSW Labor has committed to expanding laws with tougher penalties that cover other essential workers to cover retail workers and give greater protection against assaults, threats and abuse.”

That move was welcomed by both the National Retailers Association (NRA) and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA), a union representing thousands of retail staff nationwide.

“The decision to inflict harsher penalties to address this issue sends a clear message to the community: that this is an issue [lawmakers] take very seriously, and such violent individuals and behaviour will not be tolerated,” NRA chief executive Greg Griffith said in a statement.

“We understand that the majority of customers are in stores to shop and are well behaved, but we need to make it clear to the violent few that they are not welcome.”

The new SA law “does have a positive impact for retailers, creating safer working and shopping environments,” Griffith added.

“However, more power needs to be given to police to effectively act on violent individuals.

“We urge retailers to increase the reporting of these incidents to police across the country to better protect our retail workers.”

The SDA, which for years has run its own “No One Deserves A Serve” campaign, has pushed for other jurisdictions to launch similar penalties, the NRA said.