Usdaw has welcomed an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that would extend the offence of assaulting a retail worker to home delivery workers.
Tabled by Anneliese Midgley MP, the new clause could be considered during the remaining stages of the Bill which are set to take place this week on 17 June and 18 June.
If passed, frontline delivery drivers would be included in a new standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine.
Over three quarters of retail delivery drivers have suffered abuse, according to Usdaw’s latest survey.
It found that 13% had suffered assault and 26% had refused a delivery due to “fear for their own personal safety”.
“I tried to refuse a delivery once due to the customer’s unchecked aggression; he then ripped the shopping from my hands, hit me, chased me down the road, kept yelling and swearing while coming after me,” said one frontline delivery driver.
The Bill also introduces a new legal requirement on drivers to verify a customer’s age when delivering knives ordered online.
Usdaw said requesting ID for age-related sales can be a “real flashpoint for abuse, threats and violence” for delivery workers.
“I once made a delivery to a house where the son answered. I asked for identification as he was young, so his mum came down the stairs shouting and screaming at me saying I don’t need to see his identification,” said another delivery driver.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, commented: “We welcome the amendment tabled by Anneliese Midgley MP, which complements the Government’s determination to tighten up the regulation of the online sale of knives. Usdaw fully supports this much-needed legislation, particularly after the horrors of the Southport murders, and knowing that the weapons used in this atrocity were ordered online, it is absolutely crucial that more is done to safeguard against underage sales.
“Important in tightening up the process is the role of the delivery driver, who is legally required to conduct a final age verification on the customer’s doorstep. These checks also apply to all age-restricted products, including alcohol and tobacco. Our members tell us this can be very problematic and they feel vulnerable to attack.
“The Crime and Policing Bill includes a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law which we believe should apply to all retail staff. When Parliament places additional responsibilities on delivery workers to police much-needed laws on age verification, it is only right that Parliament legislates to provide additional protections for delivery workers.”
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