Workers at a Thai massage parlour have said they feel intimidated and scared of abuse from men often mistaking them for sex workers.
Gem Bunngam who owns Gem Traditional Thai Massage in Worcester, said the business was plagued by prank calls and abuse, particularly by men asking for “happy endings” at least twice a week.
Mrs. Bunngam says she has lost staff because they cannot cope with the abuse and racist stereotypes.
“Sometimes we don’t want to come to work and I just [think] maybe I’m going to do something else,” she said.
Mrs. Bunngam has operated the business for two and a half years and has worked in the city for more than ten years. But she has now spoken out about the abuse and harassment she and her workers face everyday.
Speaking to the BBC, she said she has even put signs up in the windows saying the business does not offer “extras”, but she said it did nothing to stop men from coming in and harassing her and her staff by asking for sexual services.
She said:
“We get calls or comments at least twice a week. It used to be every day, so many phone calls. We’re just fed up with it.
“It’s normally just men. The majority are men. Men don’t respect women as much as they should.
“These people should feel they’re embarrassing themselves, but sadly [they don’t].”
She has said she has even considered quitting the trade because of the turmoil.
“We feel intimidated, we feel frustrated, we feel sad, we feel angry,” she said.
“I’m struggling with therapists because no-one wants to come to work because they don’t want to face this kind of thing.”
PC Gary Otun, West Mercia Police’s Hate Crime Officer for South Worcestershire, said he had seen an upsurge in the number of hate crimes being reported in the area, after recent national events.
Areas with an increase included Evesham, Droitwich, and Malvern.
Mr. Otun said:
“Tackling hate crime is a priority for West Mercia. We know that on a national and local level, hate crimes are unreported.
“People who are committing hate crimes are targeting people because of who they are and often these victims are some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
“This can have a devastating impact on the individual and the wider community, so it’s a force priority.
“It’s something we need to get a grip on and it’s something, unfortunately, a lot of victims don’t feel they would report to the police.”
Attacks and abuse on workers
Unfortunately workers within the beauty and massage industry are not the only ones who have been subject to abuse in recent years.
It seems that people working with the public are being put at risk, as our recent article highlighting how retail workers and delivery drivers are also being subjected to violent attacks and assaults while doing their job.
According to figures from the British Retail Consortium’s Crime Survey, violence and abuse against people working in retail has almost doubled on pre-pandemic levels.
The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) Crime Survey reveal that incidents, including racial and sexual abuse, physical assault, and threats with weapons, rose from the pre-Covid high of over 450 per day in 2019/20, to over 850 per day in 2021/22.
Meanwhile, delivery drivers are being subjected to violent attacks and thefts as they complete their rounds.
Chris Brook-Carter, Chief Executive of Retail Trust, said:
“Being physically or verbally attacked should never be part of anyone’s job but the findings of the BRC Annual Crime Survey sadly echo what we’re hearing at the Retail Trust, with thousands of people telling us they are being shouted at, spat on, threatened and hit at work.
They are extremely anxious, being forced to take time off or even quitting their jobs as a result.”
“Our message at the Retail Trust is clear. This is simply not acceptable and if you are a retail colleague suffering from any kind of abuse, threats or violence, please report this to your manager and call the Retail Trust’s wellbeing helpline (0808 801 0808) if you need any help dealing with your experiences.”
Further reading
Criminal injury claims – Oakwood Solicitors
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Aimee Fox joined Oakwood Solicitors in October 2023 as a Paralegal in the Criminal Injury Department. Prior to this, Aimee graduated from Leeds Beckett University with a 1:1 degree in Law with Crimino…
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