Politicians are just Chasing Big-Policy Headlines
Pity the poor, hardworking bartender north of the border, who until September last year could legally have a staff drink after hours at the end of a busy shift.
You may be surprised to learn it, but the new Scottish licensing law has made this illegal.
It was never, in my view, the intention that this should be so. The Scottish government, in seeking to clamp down on illegal lock-ins, removed an exception from the old law in Scotland which has had the unintended consequence of outlawing staff drinks as well.
During recent debates on new legislation which will further amend licensing laws in Scotland (yes, even more tinkering!) MSP Bill Aitken proposed an amendment to allow 45 minutes after the end of the licensed hours for staff drinks.
The proposal was flatly rebuked by other MSPs, with cries of police resourcing issues, abuse by licence holders, and it was shot down in flames – even though it simply sought to re-introduce a right that staff have enjoyed for decades, which they only lost as a result of a drafting mistake.
Holyrood has the blinkers on here, too obsessed with chasing big-policy headlines in an effort to be seen to be hard on alcohol abuse. Is there really any problem in staff being allowed to relax, unwind and talk about the night’s shift with their co-workers over a drink after closing time?
During the debate MSP Angela Constance said “In my 10 years of working many a hard shift in the social work department I was never offered a drink at the end of the day.”
She’s missed the point. Where does the bartender go at the end of his day? All the pubs are closed, after all. The social enjoyment of a drink after work is taken for granted by the nine-to-five workers who can easily pop to the pub.
I don’t recall the police clamouring for the practice to end. Illegal lock-ins yes, but staff having a quick pint to wind down? Likening the staff drink to the sort of lock-in the police do have real problems with is a falsehood and does no favours to the hard working members of the hospitality industry – Scotland’s biggest employer after government.
It’s also quite unfair on the police who, if you hold the government’s view, are so unskilled they cannot tell the difference between some staff winding down and an actual lock-in.
Aitken called it a “doctrinal” approach – the killjoys rule again. I’m more than inclined to agree.
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