Retail trade union Usdaw has called on the Government to included home delivery drivers under the new standalone offence for assaulting retail workers which is being introduced as a part of the Crime and Policing Bill.
The union has submitted evidence to the Home Office to support the call. The Bill has been timetabled for report stage on Tuesday (June 17 ) and Wednesday (June 18), where it will be debated and voted on by all MPs.
Usdaw has surveyed over 300 retail home delivery drivers working mainly in the grocery sector and employed by a range of companies including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Asda, Morrisons and Iceland. The results show that in the last twelve months:
• 77 per cent had been a victim of abuse.
• 13 per cent were assaulted.
• 26 per cent had refused a delivery due to fear for their own personal safety.
Retail home delivery drivers are required to obtain proof of age for a number of products which are subject to age-related sales legislation.
If they fail to obtain it, they may be liable for prosecution – resulting in a heavy fine and/or disciplinary action from the employer. The Crime and Policing Bill introduces a new legal requirement on drivers to verify a customer’s age when delivering knives ordered online.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says, “Usdaw fully supports the Government’s determination to tighten up the regulation of the online sale of knives.
"Having seen the horrors of the Southport murders and knowing that the weapons used in this atrocity were ordered online, it is absolutely crucial that more is done to safeguard against underage sales.
“Important in tightening up the process is the role of the delivery driver, who is legally required to conduct a final age verification on the customer’s doorstep.
"These checks also apply to all age-restricted products, including alcohol and tobacco. Our members tell us this can be very problematic and they feel vulnerable to attack.
“The Crime and Policing Bill includes a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law, but it isn’t clear that this will apply to delivery drivers. So, we are looking for the Government to clarify that those important protections don’t only apply to in-store workers.”
