13 January 2010
Immediate release

MURRAY WELCOMES PROGRESS TO PROTECT WORKERS

Elaine Murray 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.

Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray 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 Dumfries and Galloway 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that it’s not just the victim of abuse that suffers, a whole community can lose out if a service in our area is withdrawn after an assault on a worker everyone loses out."

"Along with my Labour colleagues I will be pushing for this Bill to become law so that workers who serve the public in Dumfries and Galloway will be protected from the thuggish minority who resort to violence. They should have, and need, the full protection of the law behind them. "

ENDS

CONTACT – ANDREW MACKENZIE 07769206856

NOTES TO EDITORS

Link to Bill proposal - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/MembersBills/documents/20090713-FinalConsultationdocumentrevised.pdf

Link to Consultation responses - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/MembersBills/documents/Consultationresponses-WorkersBill-HughHenryMSPFinal.pdf

Link to supporters of the proposed Bill - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/MembersBills/documents/ProposalSupportersTable.pdf