Workers shouldn't have to take a gamble that they will be safe at work. Yet that is what too many betting shop staff face especially in the run-up to Christmas.
The respected Community Union which organises workers in the Ladbrokes chain has been in touch to ask for my support for a campaign to defend their members' safety at work.
As a life-long trade unionist, it is not something that I would ignore and the union makes a good case
Bookies are a mainstay of the high street but can suffer anti-social behaviour such as verbal and physical abuse and armed robbery.
Community is particularly concerned about "single staffing" and had had successfully campaigned to scrap compulsory single staffing.
This policy was confirmed in the 2009 pay review but just last month Ladbrokes did a unilateral U Turn to "put profit before people," as the union says.
Managers told betting shop staff that they would enforce mandatory single staffing in some betting shops. This policy would mean that over 80% of the Ladbrokes shop estate would single staff.
Ladbrokes also added insult to injury by telling its staff that there would be no pay review next year and that salaries would be frozen till at least January 2011.
Lone working increases the dangers to staff whose health and safety are of prime concern.
There has been a significant rise in anti-social behaviour at betting shops with a 66% increase in incidents since 2005.
This policy mandates a minimum 3 hour single staffing period on Sunday, historically the highest risk day for armed robbery due to the volume of cash held on premises.
No wonder that nearly two-thirds of Community members are deeply concerned about the impact of increased single staffing.
Single staffing also adds to the pressures betting shop workers are under to comply with Think 21 policies. All betting shop workers have to ask for ID of any costumer who looks under 21 and if found not to comply with this policy face disciplinary proceedings.
I call on Bookies to do the right thing.
I have, therefore, backed a Commons motion which backs the Community Union Minimum Standards Campaign in the betting industry for their shops and all others.
Newcastle Chronicle and Journal
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