Across Scotland, our shopworkers are facing a growing crisis. Retail crime is rising at an alarming rate. Too often, these crimes are dismissed as minor or victimless. But we know the truth: shoplifting and retail violence devastate workers, drive up costs for businesses already under strain, and corrode the sense of safety in our neighbourhoods.

In the past year alone, shoplifting in Scotland has soared by more than 17 per cent, with over 47,000 incidents recorded. Since 2021, the overall rise stands at a staggering 124 per cent. The cost is not only financial—though losses now total more than £100 million annually for our convenience sector—it is deeply human. Workers face daily abuse, intimidation, and in too many cases, physical assault.

When staff go to work fearing what they might face on their shift, it is not just an employment issue—it is a justice issue.

The Scottish Co-operative Party has long campaigned for the protection of shopworkers, including successfully for a specific offence for assaults and threats against retail staff. Police Scotland and the prosecuting authorities in Scotland must make full use of the powers they now have and use their resources to protect retail workers.

These calls are not abstract policy proposals—they are rooted in the lived reality of shopworkers, who are on the front line of this crisis.

A future Scottish Labour & Co-operative Government is determined to act where the SNP has failed. Under their watch, police numbers have been cut and offenders too often face little more than ineffective Fiscal Fines, many of which go unpaid. This soft-touch approach has left communities feeling abandoned and emboldened repeat offenders.

That must end. A future Scottish Labour government will:

• Support our police with the resources and staffing they need to properly tackle retail crime.

• Ensure consequences are real, not symbolic, for those who commit shoplifting or violence against workers.

• Stand with shopworkers, embedding in law the protections they deserve.

Our high streets and our shops—including Scotmid and Co-operative Group stores as well as others—are more than places to buy food or essentials. They are anchors of community life—places where people meet, connect, and feel part of something bigger. If workers feel unsafe and businesses are left vulnerable, that sense of community erodes.

Protecting shopworkers is about defending not just individual rights, but the collective wellbeing of our neighbourhoods. It is about standing up for fairness, dignity, and the co-operative principle that we are stronger together.

We need co-operators to continue raising their voices. Share your stories, campaign in your communities, and stand with us in demanding change. Together, we can turn the tide on retail crime and ensure that no shopworker faces abuse or violence simply for doing their job.

The message is clear: Scotland’s shopworkers deserve respect, protection, and justice. And with your support, that is what we will deliver.