Asda workers have been stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes according to a GMB survey which shows one in three has been attacked at work.
In the poll of almost 1,000 Asda staff, workers revealed how they had been spat at, suffered broken bones, been hit with bottles and had death threats against them and their children.
Delivery drivers have been chased by people in cars and been confronted by customers in the nude, while store workers have had watermelons and joints of gammon thrown at them.
In total, 339 people (35 per cent) said they had been a victim of verbal or physical violence whilst carrying out their job role.
The results of the survey – which will be discussed at the GMB’s annual congress in Bournemouth today – also saw 58 per cent of respondents said they had suffered injury or illness at work.
Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer, said, “These incidents are horrifying – no one should have suffered this kind of abuse and violence at work.
“But this situation is only going to get worse as staff hours are slashed, leaving less people in store and those who are there more vulnerable.
“An estimated eight million staff hours have been cut by Asda as the owners – TDR capital – desperately try to pay the interest on billions of pounds worth of debt.
“Meanwhile workers and customers suffer health and safety breaches, fire hazard and hygiene standards plummeting.
“Asda staff on the front line and customers in the aisles are the ones who bear the brunt of this financial chicanery.”
Some Asda workers have described the level of violence received, one said I have been “shoved, grabbed and spat at whilst working, I have even been threatened with needles.”
Another Asda worker revealed, “I have been shoved and broke by coccyx, I had been assaulted and had my right arm bent so far back it’s given me permanent damage. I have also had multiple things thrown at me and am verbally assaulted virtually every shift.”
Another shop worker said that they have been “stabbed seven times, spat at, verbally abused on almost daily basis.
Another claimed to have received homophobic abuse claiming, “I have had people physically confront me and threaten to kill me, I have been chased around Liverpool by a car with the driver threatening to kill me (he then reported me to Asda for my driving style.)
“I have been doing deliveries and been confronted by customers in the ‘nude’ wanting me to take the shopping into the flat (that’s happened twice.)
“I have also been threatened by drugged up people (I assume) with needles …lots more tales to tell.”
Abuse has also been witnessed if “stock runs out of queues at the tills are too long.”
The Asda worker added, “I have been called baldy I have also had my bottom squeezed and when I remonstrated with them I was threatened with a bottling
“I work on the security department. Majority of the time we get verbal abuse and over the years I’ve been punched, had people spit at me, had needles and knives pulled out, a bottle to my head and been pushed about. Security colleagues suffer a lot of this.”
Another said, “A customer threw a joint of gammon at me (it missed) because I wouldn’t reduce it for him.
“I have had someone throw a honeydew melon at me as he had an argument with his wife and took it out on me. A man tried to hit me with his walking stick when I was trying to help him at self-scans. I’ve been verbally abused when I have refused an alcohol sale.”
An Asda spokesperson said, “The safety of our colleagues is a primary concern.
“We work with all of our colleague representatives in the important area of colleague security and also back calls for violence or abuse against retail workers to be made a standalone criminal offence in all parts of the UK and hope this is a priority for any incoming government.”
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