Coles workers in Victoria have been subjected to an 85 per cent rise in verbal assaults and physical altercations over two years, as the retail union warns the problem is reaching “crisis” levels.
The figure was revealed by Coles chief operations officer Matt Swindells in comments to the ABC’s 7.30 program on Monday, where he said threatening incidents had been climbing, especially in Victoria.
“We’ve had rising instances of what we would call threatening situations, particularly towards our team members and particularly in Victoria over the last two years,” he said.
“While we call them threatening situations, what we really mean are either verbal assaults or physical altercations, or in some instances using product as a weapon, like a bottle of wine or a tin of tomatoes.”
Swindells said Coles had more staff-worn body cameras and motion detection cameras in Victoria than in other states and territories.
Footage shared with the ABC showed a series of violent scenes, including shoppers threatening staff with hammers and security workers being violently wrestled at check-outs. One clip showed a security guard wrestling another man, while another showed a woman threatening a worker with a hammer.
Ruth Sumner, 70, a staff member from Melbourne’s southwest, told the ABC behaviour from the public had worsened since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I enjoy my work, I enjoy my job. I would just like to be able to do it without getting abused basically, or worrying about whether somebody is going to come flying around the plaza with weapons,” Ruth Sumner, 70, told the ABC.
Sumner said she feared young people coming into the workforce should not have to build the same thick skin she had.
“If I drop dead tomorrow, I want to know that I’ve done something to make life better or help make life better for the people who come after us.
“It’s not just about us. There are new generations coming through who have the same rights to go to where they work and be safe.”
The retail workers union wants laws allowing repeat offenders to be banned from stores to be brought forward before Christmas this year. State secretary Michael Donovan said, “It is a crisis for our members.”
Courts in the ACT and South Australia already have access to such workplace protection order bans. In Victoria, Premier Ben Carroll last month said the laws would be in place by July 2027.
Earlier this month, Carroll announced funding for another 200 reservist police roles focused on office and front counter duties, allowing more officers to be deployed on the beat. The $57m, 200-officer measure is in addition to another 200 positions already budgeted for by former premier Jacinta Allan.
The latest Victorian crime figures show youth crime fell 6 per cent in the year to March, while adult crime rose 10 per cent. The number of youth offenders dropped by 260 to about 7000, and there were 1000 fewer first-time youth offenders over the 12 months to March.
Earlier this year, dozens of hospitality venues were firebombed in what police suspect was an attempt by organised crime to muscle in on illicit alcohol sales. The violence mirrored years of tobacco store firebombings.
