News

EuroCommerce and UNI Europa, social partners for the commerce sector, are carrying out a study on the health, safety and well-being of retail and wholesale employees. The main objectives of the project are to raise awareness health and safety issues and to exchange experience and good practices related to implementing EU Health and Safety directives in the sector.

The study will further strengthen cooperation between EuroCommerce and UNI Europa and is focused on three main themes: ergonomics (mainly muscular skeletal disorders), stress at work (work-related stress including absenteeism, turnover and physical stress) and psychological risks (including third party violence and mental health risks). One of the ultimate aims of the project is to develop a tool-kit based on good practices identified for each main theme.

In order to gather comparative information for the study, a survey in the form of a questionnaire has been developed and is being circulated among EuroCommerce members. The purpose is to gather basic information from all European Member States and to identify innovative and exemplary projects.

More than 3 million people working in the European commerce sector have been victims of verbal and physical attacks from customers while working in a retail or a wholesale company. The effects of these attacks can have devastating consequences for the victim because of the negative psychological impact, resulting in the diminished quality of life at both personal and professional level. It is hoped that the results of both the survey and the study will aid in alleviating this.

A series of workshops will be organised in the first part of 2016 with members to further explore the themes. 

for more information you can contact Laila Castaldo at laila.castaldo@uniglobalunion.org