Paul Martin MSP Welcomes Progress to Protect Workers   January 21, 2010

The Springburn MSP has welcomed the news that cross party support means there will now be progress in the Scottish Parliament for a Bill to give workers in Scotland greater protection.

The Workers (Aggravated Offences) Bill lodged by Labour MSP Hugh Henry had already gathered significant support from Trade Unions, transport bodies, local councils and individual workers and now has the backing from MSPs.
The Bill will give workers who have face to face contact with the public through their duties greater protection. This would mean people committing offences under the new Bill could be jailed up to 12 months and fined up to £10,000.

MSP Paul Martin for Springburn said:
 

“I fully support the Bill brought forward by my colleague Hugh Henry MSP and I am delighted that it can now move forward. I supported this Bill because all workers in Springburn who face the public as part of their job should be able to go about their work without fear of violence or intimidation. We have to remember that it’s not just the victim of abuse that suffers, a whole community can lose out and that’s not right. For example if a local bus service in Springburn is withdrawn after an assault on a worker everyone loses out."