SHOPWORKERS’ union Usdaw has welcomed the commitment from some retailers to maintain in-store Covid-19 safety measures when legal measures are dropped in England on Monday.

It urged others to follow suit and called on me

mbers of the public to respect shopworkers and abide by retailers’ rules.

Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Waitrose and John Lewis have all said they will encourage customers and staff to continue wearing masks.

Usaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: “It is deeply disappointing that the government has ploughed on with ending mandatory safety measures within shops on Monday, despite concerns from shopworkers.

“So we welcome the early responses from the retail industry and we hope all stores will continue to put staff and customer safety first.

“The government’s guidance issued yesterday provides no assurances for staff or employers — it is a real mess.

“Protection for retail workers through customers wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing should be backed up by the law and not left to individual choice.

“Retail staff already face unacceptable levels of abuse, and making Covid safety measures guidance-only, instead of having the force of law behind them, could put more shopworkers at risk.”