Northern Ireland justice minister will soon introduce a new offence of assaulting a person providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing services to the public.
Usdaw and Northern Ireland Retail Consortium have last month jointly written to the justice minister, Naomi Long, to act decisively to ensure shop workers in Northern Ireland get the same legal protection from assault as their counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales.
The UK government has recently announced that it will introduce new legal protection for shop workers from violence. Scotland introduced its Protection of Shop Workers Act in 2021.
Both organisations have highlighted statistics from the Police Service of Northern Ireland showing that shoplifting in Northern Ireland had more than doubled since the pandemic. Results from Usdaw’s annual survey also reported that six in 10 incidents of violence, threats and abuse were triggered by shoplifting or armed robbery.
Usdaw said the justice minister, who agreed that the aggression displayed to retail workers was unwarranted and unacceptable, will introduce to the Assembly a new offence by way of a Sentencing Bill, providing the protection retail workers so desperately need.
“We welcome the justice minister moving rapidly on this issue and confirming that this new offence will be introduced in the Assembly in 2025,” Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, said.
“We are pleased to see that the offence goes further than what we called for and will rightly cover all public-facing workers. This will send a clear message to those abusing and assaulting public-facing workers that what they are doing is unacceptable and will land them with a stiffer sentence. Our hope is that this will result in retail staff getting the respect they deserve.”
Neil John, director of Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, added: “I am delighted that the justice minister has agreed to legislate on this crucial issue and that shop workers in Northern Ireland will receive the same protection as their colleagues in the rest of the UK.”
Independent retailers are demanding tougher police action, more bobbies on the beat and harsher punishments as shoplifting levels reach an all-time high, a new survey reveals.
A whopping ninety-one per cent of respondents to a survey conducted by the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) called for more police patrols on streets, while a similar number - 90 per cent - said that shoplifters should be handed harsher sentences.
Seven out of 10 respondents (72 per cent) said their stores had experienced shoplifting, break ins and damage to property, while they and their staff had been physically or verbally threatened.
Just under half of respondents (47 per cent) said they and their employees had been threatened or had suffered abuse and violence when asking for proof of age ahead of selling an age-restricted product.
Forty-four per cent reported that they and their staff had faced abuse or violence because they had refused to make a proxy sale – selling an age restricted product to a customer buying for a minor.
The results of the Fed’s survey came as new figures from the Office of National Statistics revealed that shoplifting was at a record high, with almost half a million offences recorded last year.
According to the ONS, 469,788 offences were logged by forces in the year to June 2024 – a 29 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.
The ONS added that this figure was the highest since records began – in March 2003.
“Inadequate responses from the police and a slap on the wrist for offenders means that shoplifting is soaring, and offenders are becoming more aggressive and brazen,” said Fed National President Mo Razzaq.
“From the responses we received, it is clear that real action is needed by police, by courts and by the government to stem the overwhelming tide of crime against retailers and their staff. Everyone deserves to feel safe at work and for their businesses to be protected against criminals.
“Fed members are also sending a clear message that one of the catalysts for verbal and physical abuse in stores is asking for proof of age before selling an age restricted product. If the government presses ahead with its plans to phase out smoking and vaping through a progressive ban to gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country, independent retailers will be subject to even greater levels of violence, abuse and theft.”
Calling for action from the government and not just words, Mr Razzaq continued: “Without effective deterrent, criminals and opportunistic members of the public will continue to commit crimes.”
According to Ministry of Justice statistics, during the year to March 2024, 431 fines were handed out for retail theft under £100, while Home Office statistics for the same period show that 2,252 cautions were accepted for shoplifting.
PayPoint has announced a new partnership with Leeds Credit Union (‘LCU’), a financial cooperative with 37,000 members, enabling them access to its CashOut service, effective immediately.
The partnership will mean that LCU customers can access their cash and savings across any of PayPoint’s UK network of 29,000 retailer partners. This represents an unprecedented growth in accessibility and the first partnership of its kind for LCU. Historically customers have needed to visit one of LCU’s four branches to withdraw money.
Leeds Credit Union provides straightforward, affordable financial services. As a mutual there are no shareholders, so it is owned by its members and always has the interests of the members at the heart of everything it does. The credit union prides itself on providing members with the most appropriate services based on their circumstances.
“Our partnership with Leeds Credit Union will enable its customers to access their funds more easily than ever before," said Jo Toolan, Managing Director of Payments at PayPoint. "We’re committed to pursuing these kinds of partnerships, which enable credit unions to offer a more competitive and technologically advanced service, while simultaneously making the lives of customers that little bit easier through enhanced access.”
Greg Potter, Head of Marketing & Member Experience at Leeds Credit Union, said: “Increasingly, we’re looking at ways that we can apply technological solutions and partnerships to add value to the experience of our members using Leeds Credit Union. This partnership is demonstrative of our determination to grow in their best interests and will make access to funds something that can be done at any of a number of PayPoint locations in the UK.”
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A Philip Morris logo is pictured on a factory in Serrieres near Neuchatel, Switzerland December 8, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
Marlboro-maker Philip Morris said Tuesday it planned to close down its two production sites in Germany, citing falling demand for cigarettes among Europeans.
"In recent years, demand for cigarettes in Europe has fallen significantly," the company said in a statement, adding that it saw the same trend for roll-your-own tobacco.
"This trend is expected to continue in the coming years," the company said.
Many smokers have been shifting to e-cigarettes, or vapes, and heated-tobacco devices.
Philip Morris employs 372 workers at its factories in Berlin and Dresden. Both sites are scheduled for closure next year.
The tobacco giant said it would begin discussions with labour representatives to find "fair and socially responsible solutions" for staff.
Nisa retailer Prem Uthayakumaran has made significant donations totalling £3,500 to two local community organisations through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity.
The funds will provide essential support to groups within the communities that his stores serve, helping them continue their invaluable work.
The first of these generous donations was a £1,000 contribution from Broxbourne Service Station in Hertfordshire, directed to the Lea Valley Karate Academy. The funds will enable the academy to purchase much-needed equipment, ensuring that young people and adults in the local area have access to high-quality resources as they develop their skills in martial arts.
Additionally, a £2,500 donation was made by Eastfield and Cross Road Service Stations to the Mansfield Town Ability Counts Football Club. The club, which provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate in football, will use the funds to support their programs, enhancing the experience for current players and making it possible for even more participants to join.
In July 2024, Prem donated £1,000 to Voice of the Vale – a group of young performers at Nottingham Trent University. This followed further self-donations from Prem to Broxbourne Organisation for Disabled and to Mansfield Under 12s Football Club in 2023.
Prem Uthayakumaran said: “Supporting the communities around my stores has always been important to me, and through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity, we’re able to make a real, tangible difference. The Lea Valley Karate Academy and Mansfield Town Ability Counts Football Club both play vital roles in their respective communities, and I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to their success.”
Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity enables retailers to donate to local good causes through the sale of Co-op own brand products in their stores. A percentage of sales from these products goes into a MADL fund, which retailers can then use to make donations to charities, schools, sports clubs, and other community groups.Kate Carroll, Head of Charity at Nisa, said, “We are delighted to see retailers like Prem using their MADL funds to support such worthwhile local causes. Both the Lea Valley Karate Academy and Mansfield Town Ability Counts Football Club provide vital services to their communities, and donations like these enable them to continue their important work. At Nisa, we are incredibly proud of our retailers’ commitment to making a difference locally.”
Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity has been helping retailers like Prem Uthayakumaran give back to their communities for over 15 years, and with each donation, they help foster stronger, more Connected local areas.
High streets in the UK are collectively pay one third of all business rates while accounting for 9 per cent of the economy, British Retail Consortium (BRC) stated on Thursday (24), strengthening its call for a fairer level of business rates for hospitality and retail.
BRC and UKHospitalityare united in their call for the Chancellor to implement a fairer level of business rates for hospitality and retail at the Budget, which will rebalance a system that unfairly punishes our high streets and town centres. This was a manifesto pledge from Labour ahead of the election.
A lower rate for hospitality and retail, which together employ around six million people, would unlock investment in our high streets, while also stemming the loss of shops, pubs, restaurants and hotels, and the jobs that rely on them.
In 2023-24, retail and hospitality businesses combined to pay almost £9 billion in business rates, 34 per cent of the overall rates bill, while accounting for only 9 per cent of the overall economy.
Current business rates relief for retail and hospitality is set to end on 31 March, costing the sectors a combined £2.5bn. That would take their bill up to £11bn, accounting for 44 per cent of total rates.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said, "Consumers want diverse and thriving high streets, but this is held back by the broken business rates system. It is the biggest barrier to local investment and prevents the creation of new shops and jobs.
"Already, the industry pays far more than its fair share – retail accounts for 5 per cent of the economy, but pays 7.4 per cent of all business taxes, and over 20 per cent of all business rates. The Budget is a great opportunity to right this imbalance, ensuring that retail pays a fairer level of business rates."
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said, "Hospitality is at the heart of our communities but the enormous value it delivers both socially and economically is under threat from the inflated business rates bill the sector has to foot.
"High street businesses paying one third of all business rates is absurd and one of the primary reasons why we see our businesses facing financial challenges – it makes running a pub, bar, café or restaurant, to name a few, incredibly expensive.
"Introducing a reduced level of business rates for the high street at the Budget can unlock millions in investment – from new venues to more jobs. Crucially, it would save our high street from countless closures if hospitality had to bear a billion pound business rates hike in April."