SHOP workers in South Wales are being abused or threatened "every day", a trade union has said, after Tesco announced it was offering body cameras to every employee who works on a shop floor.

Writing in the Mail On Sunday, Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy revealed physical assaults against staff are up by a third on the same time last year.

The company has spent £44 million on security measures over the past four years, including protection screens and digital radios - now a common fixture in stores.

Now, every frontline member of staff will be offered the chance to wear a body camera at work.

“As retailers, we work hard to make sure our stores are warm, welcoming and safe – not just for customers, but for the millions of people who stock the shelves, walk the floor and serve the tills,” Mr Murphy wrote. “Like everyone, they deserve to be safe at work.

“But over the last couple of years, these unsung heroes are being made to feel less safe by the actions of some people: customers who will be verbally and physically abusive, or who will threaten and attack them when challenged."

“These people are small in number but have a disproportionate impact. And the number of these incidents is increasing," the chief executive continued.

“We need better links between police forces and businesses to prevent crime in the first place. Gangs take advantage of the fact we do not share enough information. We’ll only be able to stop these thugs if we work together.”

South Wales Argus: Tesco store on Clytha Park Road, NewportTesco store on Clytha Park Road, Newport (Image: Google)

Shoplifting, robbery and theft all saw increases in Gwent in the year ending March 2023.

Bally Auluk, area organiser for Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) in South Wales, has praised the Tesco's offer of body cameras for every frontline worker - but says more needs to be done to address the problem.

"I'm getting calls from members every week who say they have been abused or threatened," he said. "Most of them are in fear of going back into work the following day.

"Newport and Cardiff have become worse for it. If people start doing this crime, it becomes known as an easy target - word spreads."

A union survey last year suggested three in four workers had been verbally abused, with almost half of respondents saying they had been threatened.

"It's getting to such disproportionate levels, people are asking whether they want to work in retail," said Mr Auluk. "Why should they go to work and think - not even if they are going to get assaulted, but when?"