Co-op calls on MSPs to support Protection of Workers Bill

Daniel Johnson MSP’s Protection of Workers Bill is due to complete its third and final stage in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow (18 January). If passed it will mean assaulting, threatening, abusing, obstructing or hindering a retail worker who is doing their job will become a new offence. If committed because the worker is applying an age-restriction, by asking for proof of age, it will count as aggravation potentially making the offence more serious.

Co-op, which has 360 stores and 6,000 colleagues in Scotland, has been a long-standing campaigner for greater protection for all retailer workers. The convenience retailer has seen a 36% increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour, verbal abuse and physical assaults during lockdown, compared to the same period in 2019.

Derek Furnival, Co-op’s divisional managing director for Scotland, said: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our colleagues who work tirelessly within communities to provide essential food and groceries – and never more so than over the past 10 months.

“We strongly support Mr Johnson’s proposed bill and believe that any law would make Co-op colleagues in Scotland feel safer and more protected as they go about their daily working lives. We hope the country’s MSP’s will do the right tomorrow by voting in support of this bill.”

Paul Gerrard, Co-op’s campaigns and public affairs director, added: “No one should have to face violence and abuse just for doing their job and we hope that Scotland will continue to lead the way in tackling violence against shopworkers by passing this into law tomorrow.”