Holyrood passes bill to protect shopworkers

Daniel Johnson

The member’s bill was brought forward by Daniel Johnson MSP and will create a new statutory offence of assaulting, threatening or abusing a retail worker and provide further legal protections when the worker is carrying out their statutory duties such as age-restricted sales.

According to shopworkers union Usdaw, 15 retail workers are assaulted on an average day in Scotland. In a given year one in three shopworkers will be threatened, and three in five abused.

Usdaw estimates that instances of violence, threats and abuse have doubled since the pandemic in March.

Mr Johnson, Scottish Labour MSP for Edinburgh Southern, said: “The passage of my bill represents a victory for Labour values that will make a real and lasting difference to working people’s lives. 

“For too long retail workers have been expected to put up with violence and abuse. That many see it as part of the job is completely unacceptable. My bill will give retail workers the protection they deserve.

“This pandemic has seen retail on the front line; performing critical roles, supplying the basic essentials to all of us and keeping us safe as we do so. With us now living under another national lockdown, it’s more important than ever that our essential retail workers are properly supported.

“I would like to thank Usdaw and the GMB trade unions, the Co-Operative Party and stakeholders such as the Scottish Retail Consortium and the Scottish Grocers Federation, who have been behind me from day one. 

“Throughout the whole process, from consultation to final vote, it has been encouraging to hear the supportive voices, recognising the important work of our retail workers. There is still more to do to change the culture of retail and I look forward to promoting this change in the law but through this first step we have begun to properly protect all those who work in retail.”