PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
PROTECTION OF WORKERS BILL (14 October 2012)

That this House applauds the members and representatives of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) for their Freedom From Fear Campaign, which seeks to bring together employers, police and local authorities to tackle the scourge of violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers; further applauds the work of all trade unions in running campaigns that seek to protect their members at work; notes that all public-facing workers are at risk of being assaulted and that around 80 per cent of UK workers have interactions with the general public during their working day; welcomes the decrease in incidents against shopworkers, now at less than half the 2004 levels, but remains concerned that in the last 12 months, incidents of violence and verbal assault against retail staff increased by 83 per cent as recorded by the British Retail Consortium's Annual Retail Crime Survey; is appalled that still every minute of every day another shopworker is assaulted, threatened or abused; and therefore calls on the Government to support the Protection of Workers Bill that will extend the provisions of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 and Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006 to all public facing workers, by imposing an additional penalty for those who assault workers in the course of their duties.

Sponsored by:
Graeme Morrice (Labour)