Protection of Retail Workers

On Monday evening at the Dundee City Council's Community Safety and Public Protection Committee I asked the local Police Scotland Divisional Commander about what the police is Dundee are doing to ensure that recent legislation to protect retail workers is being used.

I was really happy to support the work done by Daniel Johnson MSP, by USDAW of which I am a member, by the Scottish Co-operative Party (I am a Scottish Co-operative Party Councillor), to make sure that the law was passed to give greater protection to retail workers.

It is now up to Police Scotland and the Crown Office to ensure that these new powers are used.  It is also up to all of us as members of the public to make clear that violence, threats and abuse to retail workers are unacceptable.

I was pleased to hear from Police Scotland that they have made the local police aware of the new legislation to protect retail workers.

Politicians have rightly tasked retail workers to make sure that, for example, alcohol isn't sold to those who are underage. We then need to ensure that retail workers receive the full protection of the law.

Violence, threats and abuse should not be part of anybody's job.