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RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2023 :: RMTnews
20
According to a new union
survey of bus worker members
rough half have experienced
incidents of workplace abuse
in the last two years.
The most common form of
abuse suffered was verbal (90
per cent), over a fifth were
spat and over 10 per cent
experienced physical assault.
Racial harassment was
experienced by over 10 per
cent of staff and over 60 per
cent of respondents have had
to deal with threats of violence
at work.
Shockingly, 97 per cent said
that they did not get any
support such as counselling or
working arrangements from
their employers following an
incident.
The deregulated nature of
the industry is illustrated by
the fact that 94 per cent of
respondents said that they
were not paid company sick
pay following their attack at
work and 84 per cent said that
they did not get any additional
support, such as Occupational
Health Assessments or phased
returns to work.
Nearly half of respondents
(42 per cent) said that they did
not report incidents of abuse
at work as they did not think
the employer would take them
seriously.
One RMT member said:
“The mentality from
management is that it’s just
part of the job unless it’s a
really serious assault and will
affect passenger’s opinion of
company reputation."
This survey came about as a
result of a resolution from
2022 national bus workers
organising conference about
the lack of support and
backing whenever a member
is physically or verbally
assaulted.
When the national
executive committee met to
consider the resolution they
instructed the union to launch
a public campaign on
awareness, particularly
highlighting problems
experienced by women
members and this survey
forms part of that work.
Respondents described
humiliating and threatening
experiences:
RESPONDENTS DESCRIBE
INCIDENTS AS FOLLOWS:
“Full bottles of coke thrown
into cab door at myself into
cab area, exploding covering
myself and steering wheel etc
with coke”.
“Projectiles thrown at cab
BUS
ASSAULTS
SOAR!
An RMT survey of bus workers
exposes widespread violence against
bus workers