Prosecute violent clients, says Unison

Unison in Scotland is calling on the Scottish
executive to ensure people who physically abuse public sector staff
are automatically charged and prosecuted.

Speaking at Unison’s Scottish health and
safety conference in Glasgow, Jim Devine, the union’s Scottish
organiser, said: “Hundreds of workers are being assaulted every
year but very few individuals are actually charged with
assault.”

Devine also called for the extension of the
Guardian Angel protection scheme to public sector workers.

Piloted at St John’s Hospital, Livingston in
West Lothian, the scheme allows staff visiting patients or clients
at home to record the name and address and the duration of their
visit through a paging system. If the worker fails to contact the
switchboard after their visit, an alarm goes off.