ACT ON RACIAL OFFENCES

RACISM AND RELIGION “Repeatedly been told to go back to my own country (I was born in London)” “Passengers would always say about how bad Islam is when they assaulted me. E.g. terrorism, Invasion. I’ve also been called a "P***” at least three times a week” “I was called a black f****** n***** many times. I was threatened to be spat at in the face and punched in my ‘big black mouth’” SEXUAL HARASSMENT “The customer said this is a man’s job and I’m doing a man’s job what I’m doing here etc” “Drunk males stopping me walking along platforms by stepping in front of me and making inappropriate comments. Males stopping to ask a question but it's been if I'm single/for my number. Even when I've said no they have continued to push for details or imply they want sexual relations” “If contactless doesn’t work they want to travel for free and get very aggressive if refused. One incident resulted in customer swearing at me, threatening me & making lewd sexual remarks about my mother” “Called me a vagina. Racist abuse regularly, told to act like a lady.” RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that there was a growing tide of violence and abuse across the London transport network and RMT members were at the sharp end on a daily basis and it is time for the employers to end the warm words and take decisive action to protect both their workforce and the travelling public. “That means more staff, making the objective “zero tolerance” a reality rather than just a slogan and ensuring that decisive action is taken against those responsible for verbal and physical assaults and that those cases are well publicised to deter others. “RMT is in no doubt that the current environment has emboldened those with hatred and violence on their minds and the union is taking our case for genuine and meaningful action to turn the tide to the TFL summit,” he said. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2019 :: RMTnews 17 RMT called for urgent government action and increased resources last month after new figures released showed that the British Transport Police failed to identify a suspect and make a prosecution in 37 per cent of racially aggravated offences. The BTP, who have seen their resources severely stretched in recent years while station and train staffing numbers have also been hacked back, have the third worst record of any force in the country. The figures are drawn from police- recorded crime data for England and Wales published by the Home Office and cover five types of offences, all of which have a specific racially or religiously motivated element defined under law. According to the Home Office, "these racially or religiously aggravated offences are by definition hate crimes". THE FIVE OFFENCES ARE: - Racially or religiously aggravated assault with injury - Racially or religiously aggravated assault without injury - Racially or religiously aggravated harassment - Racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage The three worst performing forces by number of offences in the 12 months to September 2018, the number of offences assigned the outcome “investigation complete – no suspect identified” and that outcome as a percentage of the total are: Greater Manchester: 5,199 - 2,385 – 46% West Midlands: 3,405 - 1,496 – 44% British Transport Police: 2,619 - 968 – 37% RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the latest figures come the day after RMT released shocking statistics and evidence of racially-motivated assaults against staff on London Underground and contribute to the overall picture of violence spiralling out of control on the transport network while staffing levels are hacked back to the bone. “The government should be hanging their heads in shame, on their watch more than a third of those thugs engaging in racially- motivated hate crimes on the services covered by the BTP are getting away with it. “This culture of violence, abuse and assault on the transport system has to stop and that means making the resources available to turn the tide. These shocking figures are the result of years of austerity and cuts driven by pig-headed political ideology,” he said. British Transport Police fail to prosecute nearly 40 per cent of racially aggravated offences ACT ON RACIAL OFFENCES RMT rep Ross Marshall and RMT assistant general secretary Steve Hedley attend the TfL conference to tell delegates that there is a direct correlation between staff cuts and the growing number of assaults.