Maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment sought against those assaulting retail workers
The Western Australian government is seeking to introduce tougher penalties against individuals who will assault retail workers.
The legislation, which will be introduced into Parliament by the government, wants to hike the maximum penalty for assaulting a retail worker to seven years of imprisonment or three years and a fine of $36,000 if dealt with summarily.
"Everyone has a right to feel safe in their workplace, but unfortunately, we've seen an increase in acts of violence against retail workers," said WA Premier Roger Cook in a statement. "These laws send a strong message to violent thugs - you will be held accountable for your actions."
ARA welcomes plan for retail workers
Paul Zahra, chief executive officer of the Australian Retailers Association, welcomed the WA government's initiative.
"Actions speak louder than words, and we're extremely pleased that Premier Roger Cook has responded to our views, our member's views and the SDA (Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association), and, more importantly, the needs of retail workers by taking strong action to deter these violent incidents and keep our retail staff safe," Zahra said in a statement.
The CEO also extended his gratitude to the WA Police, who carried out more targeted operations to protect retail precincts.
"Our retailers can't tackle this alone – they need the assistance of the police to help catch these criminals. In turn our police need the justice system to take these new laws seriously and use them," he said.
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The pandemic saw higher cases of assaults on retail workers, according to the WA government, which noted that there is growing evidence that these instances are continuing at unacceptable levels.
Recent findings from the ARA even revealed that more than 92% of retailers have experienced or have had a team member experience verbal or physical assault while at work.
Tasmania also recently launched a public consultation on a similar bill that aims to impose jail time against individuals assaulting frontline employees.