MP’s back shopworkers campaign

With more than 10,000 physical assaults every year on UK shop staff, local MP Dr John Reid and MSP Karen Whitefield visited the Scottish Co-operative food store in...

With more than 10,000 physical assaults every year on UK shop staff, local MP Dr John Reid and MSP Karen Whitefield visited the Scottish Co-operative food store in Shotts in support of the Co-op Group&#039s commitment to tackling retail crime.

The visit, one of many by politicians to Group stores across the UK, followed the launch of shopworkers union Usdaw&#039s new "It&#039s your store . . . respect it" initiative, which is designed to highlight the issue and tackle the abuse of retail staff.

Dr Reid and Ms Whitefield, front centre, listened to the concerns of staff, including Ann McNulty (left), and met Co-operative Group director Eric Calderwood (back) and Usdaw representative John Allan (right).

Ms Whitefield commented: "Across the country, hard working shopworkers provide a valuable service and it is important that they can feel safe and confident in their workplace.

"Shopworkers should not have to tackle anti-social behaviour at work and initiatives which protect both shopworkers and customers in signalling that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated are vitally important."

Scottish Co-op&#039s Chief Officer Ken MacKenzie added:"The Co-operative Group has been proud to work in partnership with Usdaw over recent years to support the Freedom From Fear campaign as part of a range of pioneering initiatives it has introduced aimed at tackling retail crime and anti-social behaviour in its stores and in the wider community."

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