Scottish president Ferhan Ashiq is urging colleagues to encourage their MSPs to support the final reading of a Bill to protect shop workers from attacks.
MSP Daniel Johnson’s Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Bill passed Stage 2 in Committee of the Scottish Parliament yesterday (November 17).
The final hurdle will be a vote of the full parliament, a date for which has not yet been set.
If successful, the legislation proposed by Mr Johnson will make attacking a store worker a specific offence.
Assaults or abuse relating to the sale of age-restricted products – such as alcohol or tobacco – would also become an aggravating factor in law, attracting higher penalties for perpetrators.
The NFRN continues to support the Bill and urges members in Scotland to contact their local MSPs and ask them to give it their backing at the Stage 3 vote.
Ferhan Ashiq said: “I would like to commend Daniel Johnson MSP for spearheading this very important Bill and getting it passed at Stage 2.
“Shop workers are at the frontline and have to deal with physical and verbal threats on a near daily basis for simply doing their jobs.
“The rules around the enforcing of Covid 19 regulations have strengthened the case for the need for this Bill more than ever.
“Now the real work begins. I call on every independent retail store owner and employee to contact their MSP to give their support to this Bill.”
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