The NSW government has issued a stern warning that assaulting or abusing a retail worker could see you end up behind bars.
New data reveals more than 100 people have already been charged under new laws introduced in 2023 to protect shop staff.
Footage released today of separate incidents shows workers being shoved to the ground, pushed at the checkout, and even chased through aisles.
“Members have cans of food thrown at them, hot chickens thrown back at them, we’ve got members that work in drive thrus that have hot coffees thrown back through the window,” Retail Workers Union SDA branch secretary-treasurer Bernie Smith said.
“It’s just not acceptable to walk into one of our stores and put one of our team members in that situation under any circumstance,” Coles manager Grant Shelton said.
Since the government introduced tougher penalties in June 2023, 136 people have been charged, 64 convicted, and 25 jailed for assaulting retail workers.
“We have a zero tolerance approach to anyone who intimidates, is aggressive or violent towards any retail workers,” Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis said.
With a survey revealing 88 per cent of workers being abused verbally or physically and one in 10 spat on, there are calls for even tougher measures.
The union is pushing for the government to introduce workplace protection orders. Similar to an AVO, it would restrict repeat offenders from entering specific shops.
“Once the interim order is issued a person is banned from a store, a group of stores or a shopping centre and they’re not allowed to enter those premises, if they do enter, they’d be issued a further order and if they breach that there’s significant penalties,” Smith said.
Already in place in the ACT, modeling suggests that if 10 per cent of repeat offenders were banned, violence would reduce by about 60 per cent.
The NSW government is in talks on a national approach, but may consider passing state-specific legislation.
