KEEP THE EAST LONDON LINE PUBLIC

The rise in assaults on Northern Rail shows that employers are still not doing enough to protect and support staff from assaults. The experience of Warrington and District Branch Secretary Lol Jones proves that we have a long way to go before members feel safe at work. The extraordinary lengths he had to go to push the forces of law and order is also a sad reflection of police priorities. No-one should have to end up in the highest courts just to get them to do their job. This case involved the Greater Manchester Police, but their attitude is a reflection of many police forces. There is a positive outcome, and the police should not be giving any more assurances about future prosecution when issuing a caution. It also shows employers can overturn police decisions not to prosecute by applying for a judicial review. In addition, the police are now more likely to consult the victim. However, the union would prefer to work with the police and the employers to prevent assaults in the first place. Whilst I accept that ensuring assailants are caught and prosecuted can be a deterrent, it has little effect if it is going to result in no more than a ticking off. We have started discussions with the British Transport Police over this issue, and indeed Ian Johnston, the Chief Constable of the BTP addressed RMT’s health and safety conference earlier this year. The aim is to work with them to address the way they treat staff assaults. They are under tremendous pressure, particularly in the current political climate due to the war in Iraq, but we feel more can be done. We do not want to hear about members calling the police to deal with violent passengers only to find the police arrest a member instead merely because they sought to defend themselves. PREVENTION Employers have a responsibility to protect staff and not become complacent. There are industry-wide poster campaigns – like the one with misspelled words on every major station. It is a clever way of getting the message across, but has it worked and what is the next step? Unfortunately, when we want to get them around a table to come up with common solutions involving more direct action on assaults, they run a mile. However, if we can have an industry-wide commission on pensions, why can’t we get together on assaults? Yet, when we have asked for statistics on a company-by- company basis, they refuse. When we say staff assaults are getting worse, they say it’s not true; it’s just that more people are reporting them. That is something the union has difficulty arguing with because the employers refuse to share all the information with us. Employers fear that it will enable the union to compare one company with another, and perhaps show some in a poor light. On the other hand, it could highlight examples of good practice or effective policies, but this would probably be the exception rather than the rule. The Rail Safety and Standards Board produces industry-wide assault statistics through their computerised Safety Management Information System (SMIS), which is based on information from individual companies. However, when RMT talks to the railway inspectorate and the rail regulator who have access to this information, we get the feeling they don’t know the scale of the problem. Such is the state of the industry since privatisation. RMT’s aim is to push the problem of staff assaults higher up the agenda. That is why the union’s executive has agreed a number of measures: • Relaunch our workplace violence policy with leaflets and briefings for our representatives on implementing the policy • Raise the matter with our sponsored MP’s and ministers • Seek the support of the British Transport Police, Railway Inspectorate and Rail Regulator for our campaign • Get companies to support judicial reviews and private prosecutions if all else fails. • Seek an industry-wide forum on workplace violence The union applauds what Lol Jones has achieved. The determination he has shown are in the best traditions of the union. It is up to us all to ensure that the fight to eradicate violence in the workplace continues. I am sure Lol would agree that prevention is better than the cure. www.rmt.org.uk :: december 2006 :: RMTnews 21 TIME FOR REAL ACTION ON ASSAULTS Assistant general secretary Mike Cash outlines why employers could do more to stem the raise in assaults on transport staff Increase in rail workforce assaults by type This chart shows all assaults on staff between January 2001 and March 2006. It suggests that assaults are becoming more frequent. However, most of the increase in the overall number of assaults is derived from the increase in verbal assaults.