Scottish shopworkers failed by MSPs

To the dismay of unions, the Scottish Parliament has voted down a Bill that would have given shopworkers and other public-facing staff the same level of protection given to emergency workers who are assaulted while doing their jobs.

The Protection of Workers (Scotland) Bill was being steered through the Scottish Parliament by Labour MSP Hugh Henry, but MSPs voted by a margin of 75 to 42 against allowing further discussion on the Bill, despite a Parliamentary Committee acknowledging that action was urgently needed to address violence against public-facing workers.

John Hannett, general secretary of shop and distribution workers’ union Usdaw, said: “Scotland’s shopworkers have been very badly let down by the SNP. They legislated to put shopworkers on the frontline of preventing under-age sales [of alcohol], yet have now blocked any further discussion about protecting those same shopworkers from the violence and abuse they face when doing their jobs.”

“Scotland’s shopworkers needed action from the SNP government and instead all they received were warm words and sympathy. That isn’t going to stop or deter the thug that attacks one of our members for refusing to sell them alcohol.”

www.usdaw.org.uk/newsevents/news/2010/december/scotlandsshopworkersneed.aspx