Legislation

RETAIL VIOLENCE

Protection of shopworkers law wins cross-party support

Amendments to the government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill have been debated in the House of Lords

There has been crossparty support from peers for two protection of shopworkers amendments to the government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which have been debated in the House of Lords.

However, the peers did not push the amendments to a vote but could bring them back at the report stage of the Bill, and the government restated that it continues to actively consider supporting a protection of shopworkers law.

In response, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman, said: “We are extremely disappointed that the government has once again failed to take urgent action to protect colleagues working in our sector. These amendments would have introduced a new specific offence for attacks on shopworkers in line with recently passed legislation in Scotland and provided our colleagues with the additional protection that they so desperately need.”

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, added: “We are grateful to peers from across the House of Lords for their supportive comments last night. While we are still disappointed that the government has not committed to a simple stand-alone offence for assaulting a retail worker, we remain hopeful that their ‘active consideration’ will eventually lead to the right result for our members.

“We need a new offence to encourage prosecutions and provide the deterrent effect that retail staff are desperately looking for. Retail employers, leading retail bodies, the Home Affairs Select Committee and the shopworkers’ trade union are jointly calling for legislation; it is time for the government to act.”

The NFRN has pledged to continue to push for better protection for shopworkers. Shahid Razzaq, Chairman of the NFRN’s political engagement committee, said: “Theft, vandalism and physical and verbal attacks are an all too familiar part of life for independent retailers. We will continue to lobby the government, police chiefs and police and crime commissioners for greater legal protection for everyone who works in retail.”