It’s a huge day for NSW retailers and their teams, with the NSW Government introducing new legislation to implement tougher penalties for people who assault or abuse retail workers.
The landmark reforms – which were called for by the ARA – will see New South Wales and South Australia lead the way in legislating in response to the growing prevalence of customer aggression and assaults.
You can read our media release here.
We’ve seen a frightening escalation in retail crime recently, where in some cases it has become a matter of life-or-death for workers simply trying to do their job. We applaud the NSW Government’s leadership and consultation on this issue, and also thank the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association for their collaboration on this important advocacy.
This is something the ARA has been lobbying for, for quite some time. I’d also like to thank many of our Members for their leadership in this area – in particular Woolworths, Coles and Bunnings and those who participate in our Retail Crime Advisory Committee.
The New South Wales and South Australian Governments have set a strong example – one we will continue to call on other governments across the country to adopt.