Peers have signalled growing support for extending new protections for retail workers to include grocery delivery drivers, as debate on the Crime and Policing Bill continued in the House of Lords this week.

The development was welcomed by retail union Usdaw, which has long argued that drivers face similar risks of abuse to store staff.

During the committee stage, peers raised concerns that the legislation’s new standalone offence for assaulting retail workers does not currently cover home-delivery drivers, despite the documented rising threats and violence around doorstep deliveries for grocery fulfilment.

In response, Home Office Minister Lord Hanson acknowledged the issue and agreed to meet Usdaw general secretary Joanne Thomas ahead of the Bill’s Report Stage.

The union says the move marks an important step forward in a campaign it has been running for more than two decades.

The latest debate follows in the wake of new findings from recent survey data published by Usdaw.

Among more than 300 delivery drivers across supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Iceland and Ocado, 77% said they had been abused in the past year.

Thirteen per cent reported being assaulted, while over a quarter said they had refused deliveries due to feeling unsafe. The union argues that drivers, who work alone in customers’ homes and communities, are often more exposed than in-store colleagues.

Usdaw general secretary Joanne Thomas said the union is encouraged by the Government’s willingness to engage before the next Lords stage.

“The Crime and Policing Bill includes a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law and we welcome that the Government continues to progress this important legislation,” said Thomas.

“Usdaw has been a leading force on this campaign for over 20 years and we are pleased to now have a Government that is finally taking action after years of the Tories and Lib Dems refusing to act.

“We continue to make the case, along with retail trade bodies and employers, to further explore extending the protection of retail workers law to grocery delivery drivers.

“They face similar threats to their in-store colleagues, but can be more isolated and exposed on customer doorsteps and in the community. So, we very much welcome the opportunity to meet with the Minister before the Bill moves on to its next stage in the House of Lords.”

Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter