USDAW Respect for Shopworkers Week

That the Parliament recognises that 15 to 21 November 2021 is USDAW’s annual Respect for Shopworkers Week; agrees that this is an important week to raise awareness of the work that shopworkers do and the often hostile conditions in which they work; notes with disappointment that 89% of workers in shops who took part in a recent survey carried out by the union said that they had experienced verbal abuse, 64% said that they had been threatened by a customer, 11% were assaulted, 7% of whom did not report the assault, and that 46% said they were not confident that reporting abuse, threats and violence would make a difference; acknowledges the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Sales etc.) (Scotland) Act 2021, which was introduced by Daniel Johnson and came into force in August 2021; notes that this provides a greater level of protection; believes that one way to give these staff the respect that they deserve would be to close large stores on New Year’s Day to ensure that they get what it considers would be a much needed day off during such a busy period for the sector, and calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that shopworkers feel safe at work and for it to rethink its decision to keep large stores open on New Year’s Day.