Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed the Lords third reading of the Crime & Policing Bill, which introduces a standalone offence for attacking a shop worker, ends the £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifting and introduces Respect Orders to punish offenders.
The Bill now goes to the Commons for consideration of Lords amendments, a process known as ‘ping-pong.’
Home Office Minister, Lord Hanson, opened the debate by explaining that the Government is in conversations about the application of the Crime & Policing Bill in Wales, after Members of the Senedd - representing the Conservatives, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru - combined to decline consent to the Bill.
Usdaw’s annual survey of nearly 9,000 retail staff showed that in 2025 abuse and threats continued to grow, with violence still more than twice pre-pandemic levels. With shoplifting having more than doubled since the pandemic, the survey found that abuse, threats and assaults remain higher than pre-Covid levels in 2019.
Joanne Thomas, Usdaw’s general secretary, said: “No-one should feel afraid to go to work, but our evidence shows nearly four in five of our members working in retail are being abused, threatened and assaulted for simply doing their job and serving the community.
“It’s difficult to understand why the main opposition parties in Wales came together to oppose a new law to protect retail staff. Shoplifting in Wales has doubled since the pandemic, and that’s directly linked to the increase in attacks on staff. It would be shameful if the Tories, Plaid and Reform have blocked this important legislation from applying in Wales.
“However, we welcome Peers today passing the Bill. Scotland already has a protection of retail workers law and the Northern Ireland Executive introduced their Sentencing Bill earlier this year, which contains a similar measure.
“After many years of campaigning alongside retail employers, it now feels like governments are listening and taking action to give all retail workers across the UK the protections and respect they deserve. Once the legislation is enacted we need to ensure that it is enforced by working with government, councils, police and retailers to raise awareness, improve reporting and the response to retail crime.”
You can read more about the progression of the bill on the Government’s dedicated website here.
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