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Usdaw welcomes overwhelming support a new Scottish Parliament Bill to increase protection for workers

Date: 28 May 2018 Shopworkers’ trade union Usdaw has been working with Scottish Labour MSP Daniel Johnson and has welcomed the Scottish Parliament Member’s Bill he has lodged which would increase the protection of workers.
A consultation on his proposal was conducted, with the results published today, showing:
  • 95 per cent supported the proposal, with only 2 per cent opposed.
  • Over 1,000 businesses, workers and organisations participated in the consultation, and the proposal received the overwhelming support of all groups.
Support came from:
  • major retailers such as Asda and Scotmid Co-operative,
  • trade unions Usdaw, Unite and Community,
  • and business organisations the Scottish Retail Consortium and the Scottish Grocers Federation.
Daniel Johnson’s proposal for a law would protect workers in the retail sector, and those who sell age-restricted items, such as bar and restaurant staff. The bill would create new criminal offences to give additional protections retail workers and hospitality staff. Surveys have shown that 99 per cent of retail workers have experienced verbal or physical abuse whilst at work.

The Labour MSP will now move forward with his bill, and has lodged a final proposal in the Scottish Parliament. The bill already has the support of at least 18 members from three different party groups at Holyrood, meaning that it will now go forward to the drafting stage.

Daniel Johnson MSP said: “For too many workers, violence and abuse are just part of the job. I have lodged a bill that ensures crimes against workers are taken seriously, with new criminal offences for those who abuse and are violent against staff.

“My consultation received over 1,000 responses and found that the overwhelming majority of businesses, workers and unions agree that something must be done. This has further reinforced my view that this legislation is necessary and taps into a strong public feeling of being let down by how the current criminal justice system deals with violence and abuse against workers.

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with stakeholders as I hope to draft and introduce a bill in the coming months.”

John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “We are deeply concerned about the safety of frontline retail staff. Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear Campaign highlights the violence, threats, intimidation and abuse that retail workers suffer while carrying out their day-to-day work.

"We know from our members that simply asking for ID on an age-restricted sale can be a flashpoint for violence or abuse from customers. As Challenge 25 is a legal requirement in Scotland, retail workers are put in a particularly difficult situation.

"By not asking for ID, retail workers leave themselves open to legal action, but are aware that they are likely to be subject to threats and possibly violence when they do. Usdaw remains committed to the safety of shopworkers and highlighting that abuse is not part of the job.”

Pete Cheema, chief executive of the Scottish Grocers’ Federation, said: “We are delighted that that Daniel received such an overwhelmingly positive response to the consultation. The bill being lodged is a major step forward in creating a safer environment for shop workers. We would urge MSPs from across the political spectrum to give it their full support.”

Stewart Forrest, Usdaw Scottish Divisional Officer, said: “Abuse and violence against public-facing workers is a serious problem, so our members welcome this bill and we are pleased to have worked with Daniel Johnson on it.

"The Scottish Parliament requires shopworkers to enforce the law on age restricted sales, so the Scottish Parliament should ensure that shopworkers have the full protection of the law. There needs to be clear and serious consequences for those who abuse or assault retail staff.

"Usdaw has long called for additional, clear legal protection for workers. This bill achieves that aim for staff engaged in the sale of age-restricted products and we hope that all parties in the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government listen to our members and support it.”

Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with around 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 28% over the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
The final bill proposal that has been lodged is: “A proposal for a bill to increase the protection given by criminal law for workers in the retail sector and those applying or enforcing an age-restriction in relation to the sale or supply of goods or services”. This will appear in the Scottish Parliament’s business bulletin today (Tuesday), with other MSPs now having a month to give their support. If the bill receives the support of at least 18 members from at least three parties, the bill will proceed. The bill has already received this support.

Statistics on levels of abuse and violence come from The Scottish Crime Report by SGF: http://www.scottishshop.org.uk/publications

Full analysis of the consultation: http://www.parliament.scot/S5MembersBills/daniel_johnson_summary_final.PDF

For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion

 

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