Cowdenbeath MSP Annabelle Ewing backs bill to protect workers
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The Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Bill aims to give greater protection in law to retail workers, particularly where they are providing goods and services that are age restricted.
The Bill applies to retail workers while they are doing their jobs. It makes it a specific, new criminal offence to assault, threaten or abuse staff and if the offence was committed because the worker was applying an age-restriction (for example, asking for proof of age from someone trying to buy alcohol), this would count as an ‘aggravation’, making the offence more serious.
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Hide AdMs Ewing, who spoke in support of the Bill during an early part of the parliamentary process, said: “I was very happy to vote to support this Bill, and I am pleased to see it passing the third and final stage of the parliamentary process.
“I congratulate Daniel Johnson MSP for introducing the Bill and the shop workers’ union USDAW for their relentless campaign.
"That this Bill has now been passed with the backing of all parties in the chamber and no opposition shows our Parliament at its best and highlights the fact that the need to protect and support retail workers has never been more appropriate.
“As I said in the Chamber back in September, although it is important to state for the record that the role that retail workers play in our society has always been of importance, it is self-evident that the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted how essential retail workers are.
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Hide Ad“No one could conclude other than that retail workers have been key workers in ensuring that we can all continue to access food, medicine and vital goods and services.
“The Bill will give greater protection in law to retail workers, particularly where they are providing goods and services that are age restricted.
“Our retail workers deserve our support. I hope that the new specific offence will act as a deterrent, provide confidence and assurance to retail workers, and demonstrate that we recognise the vital role that they play and that they are as entitled to a safe place of work as any other worker is.”