Workers deserve to get home safe

BRITAIN’S army of under-paid and exploited workers have seen conditions worsen.

That’s why campaigns are springing up across the UK over zero-hours contracts, unpaid work trials and pay.

Members of Better Than Zero’s Safe Home campaign now hope to persuade the Scottish Government it’s time to change licensing laws.

And it’s heartening that SNP ministers are willing to look at the details.

Bar staff and other hospitality employees are sick and tired of having to give up a couple of hours’ pay just to get home safely at the end of a night shift.

Public transport can be limited or nonexistent by the time they get away.

Young workers regularly have to make their way home in the early hours, on their own, when they might not feel safe.

Ministers heard first-hand how staff get no help – some managers just lock the doors, thinking it’s no longer their problem.

It might be possible for the Scottish Government to take a lead on this by altering licensing law or setting new guidance for local authorities.

That in turn could mean big-chain pubs having to demonstrate a genuine concern for their staff ’s welfare out of hours.

The Scottish Government might stop short of backing the plan explicitly – but there is clearly a desire to make changes if they’re possible.

The SNP, like Labour, have already proved they want to improve conditions for low-paid workers on zero-hours contracts.

It should be to the Tories’ eternal shame that they blocked SNP MP Stewart McDonald’s plan to regulate exploitative unpaid trial shifts.

Now the SNP can go further by taking up the call and using Holyrood’s powers to ensure employers give staff the respect they’re due.