New law would protect shopworkers facing abuse on coronavirus frontline

Edinburgh MSP’s bid for new legislation
Daniel Johnson says shopworkers union Usdaw has reported a doubling of abuse incidents under lockdownDaniel Johnson says shopworkers union Usdaw has reported a doubling of abuse incidents under lockdown
Daniel Johnson says shopworkers union Usdaw has reported a doubling of abuse incidents under lockdown

SHOP workers who face abuse during the Covid lockdown deserve greater protection from the law, Edinburgh Southern Labour MSP Daniel Johnson has told a Holyrood committee.Giving evidence on his proposed legislation to create a specific offence of assault against retail staff, he said: “Shopworkers have very much been on the frontline of the Covid-19 response and have assumed a key public health function I don’t think any of us could have foreseen.“Unfortunately, faced with the restrictions in stores, a conspicuous minority of people have responded through swearing, abusing and in the worst cases threatening to cough and spit on retail workers.”He said shopworkers union Usdaw had reported a doubling of violence and abuse against shopworkers during the lockdown.“The primary objective of my bill is respond to and deal with these issues of abuse and violence.”Mr Johnson told the Scottish Parliament’s economy committee that shopworkers acted as agents of the law In carrying out ID checks when selling age-restricted items but that could act as a key trigger point for violence and abuse against them.Committee convener Michelle Ballantyne said: “Much of the evidence we have received at the committee suggests the real problem is not any gap in the existing criminal law but rather to do with awareness, effective enforcement and reporting.”But Mr Johnson replied: “I think there’s an important principle at stake - when we ask people to uphold the law I think we should give them specific legal protections.”And he compared his proposed bill to existing legislation protecting emergency workers from attack, which seemed to have reduced assaults.

Tory MSP Alison Harris said Community Safety Minister Ash Denham had suggested to the committee a high-profile campaign with a zero tolerance message on assaulting shop staff could be a way forward.

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Mr Johnson said: “Any effort to raise the issue would be welcomed, but when there have been previous attempts to bring forward this kind of legislation there has been this argument made, that there should be a campaign, and nothing has happened.

“It’s not an either-or situation. I would suggest we should be doing both.”

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