Drivers try to run over wardens, says union
Parking attendants, care workers, nurses and teachers were assaulted more than 40,000 times last year for simply doing their jobs, according to the public sector union Unison.
The union says there is particular concern over levels of violence and threats directed at staff in services for children in care and those working with children with significant learning difficulties.
Meanwhile, the mistreatment of traffic wardens has also caused concern with the union warning that some parking attendants have been driven at by irate drivers looking to injure or intimidate them. And in one instance a driver wrestled the ticket machine from a worker and attempted to hit him with it.
The union says last year saw public sector workers assaulted in the course of their work more than 40,000 times for the third successive year, as it published its most recent survey of violence in the public services.
The union is calling for the Scottish Government to do more to “end the aggro” after revealing the staggering number of violent incidents against public sector staff.
Scott Donohoe, Unison health and safety committee chairman, said: “We believe these figures are the tip of the iceberg. There is a huge issue of under-reporting.”