BUS WORKERS DEMAND SAFETY AT WORK

RMTnews :: august/september 2007 :: www.rmt.org.uk 10 C onference called for the union to campaign for cashless or deposit box ticketing operations to be introduced in view of the increasing amount of robberies and attacks carry out on busworkers. Peter Edwards, Exeter said that the bus industry was one of the few industries that still involved the use of relatively large amounts of cash. “My members are exposed to potential violent attacks every day and the threat of robbery. “The number of attacks on staff has gone down since the introduction of cashless ticketing methods and we should learn from that,” he said. Keith Sander-Hole, Exeter said that these kinds of attacks were a sign of times and action was required. Graham Geliher, East Midlands Bus supported the call for cashless ticket operations but warned that in some areas it may be difficult to implement as bus companies often operate over different counties. SECURITY SCREENS Conference called on the union to carry out a survey on the suitability of driver cab security screens. Keith Sander-Hole said that some screens caused blind spots in the drivers’ vision, particularly if the screen was not an original piece of equipment. “We have a particular problem in my area as old buses seem to migrant down to the west country. “Many of the security screens have been badly fitted and they are a bodged up job,” he said. He outlined how such equipment and worn plastic and perspex screens obscure the drivers’ view and caused accidents. Michael Young, Ayr said that some original equipment was badly designed which obscured the vision of drivers. “The protective screens also reflected light into rear-view mirrors and have even been taken off. “These safety screens needed to be designed properly,” he said. Graham Gehiler said that a survey was fine but a campaign needed to be waged at a local level to combat the dangers of “retro-fitted” screens. UPGRADING CAB SEATS Conference called on the union to adopt a policy of fitting air sprung cab seats on all new vehicles and a programme to replace or refurbish the seats every two years. BUS WORKERS DEMAND SAFETY AT WORK Delegates to this year’s RMT bus workers conference in Lincoln called for action on safety at work