Labour supports calls for extending new protections for shop workers

Labour’s shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has called for extending to shop workers the same protection as other frontline workers in the newly announced Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

Raising the issue of attacks on shop workers during a Commons debate on the bill, Thomas-Symonds pledged the Labour party’s support for including the retail workers in the scope of the legislation.

“Research has shown that, during the pandemic alone, one in six of our shopworkers has been abused on every shift, with 62% of UK shopworkers experiencing verbal abuse and almost being threatened by a customer,” he said.

“There have been awful examples of attacks on other frontline workers, who have been spat at, punched, verbally abused and intimidated.

“Labour is calling for wider measures to protect the pandemic heroes, extending protections to shop workers as well as other frontline workers. There is widespread support for this, with the additional protection for shop workers supported by organisations such as the Federation of Independent Retailers.”

Stuart Reddish, national president of the Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) has earlier written to all MPs calling for the protection of retail workers to be included in the bill.

“Workers in the retail sector have long been victims of physical and verbal abuse, often triggered by age checks and the refusal to sell age-restricted products. Over the past year, many retailers have become the victims of attacks for trying to enforce another set of government regulations – the wearing of face masks,” he wrote in the letter.

“No-one should face physical or verbal abuse just for doing their job, and the NFRN would ask for your support in calling for the government to amend the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to include provision to give retailers the support and protection they need and deserve.”

The new legislation unveiled in parliament last week proposes an overhaul of the criminal justice system, with punishments set to reflect severity of crimes and police to get stronger powers and protections.

The wide-ranging bill will see maximum penalties doubled from 12 months to two years for those who assault police or other emergency workers, such as prison officers, fire personnel or frontline health workers.