END SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT WORK

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january/february 2024 :: RMTnews 12 RMT research has found 40 percent of women public transport workers have been sexually harassed at work. The union surveyed 1,400 women workers across rail, bus, metro and passenger ferry and found the following: • Four in 10 women public transport worker said that they had been sexually harassed at work in the last year. Yet nearly 70 per cent of those affected did not report the incidents. • When asked why they did not report incidents, the most common response was that they did not think their complaint would be taken seriously. • More than 80 per cent of women said that sexual harassment on public transport was becoming more of a problem. RMT women members also shared several distressing statements including: “I have had numerous men stroke my bum as they pass by and that's in the day. Of a night when they are drunk it's worse, I've had a group of men grab me and say come on love sit on my knee". “Cat-calling, touching, staring, unwanted uncomfortable conversation, unwanted 'complements' and people taking pictures of me without my permission”. “Sexually aggressive and explicit language as a form of intimidation is a frequent thing”. “I have had many comments made to me, one of the comments that was made to me which stuck with me was ‘you look amazing in that uniform, but I think you would out of it’. “There are fewer staff and perpetrators become emboldened by this”. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the survey, carried out for the International day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women, revealed that employers had much more to do in the public transport industry and the authorities in wider society, in tackling misogyny and harassment against women. "It is clear that more staffing and reducing lone working will help make our members feel safer. "I am grateful to all our women members who took part and shared their experiences some of which make for uncomfortable reading. "RMT will always support our women members at work in combatting sexual harassment and hold employers to account for any shortcomings,” he said. TACKLING HARASSMENT AT WORK Workplace violence encompasses a wide range of behaviour including verbal abuse, racial abuse, physical assaults, threats, being spat at. RMT’s survey found that 70 per cent of women public transport workers had experienced workplace violence in the last year and two-thirds of those were lone working at the time. 98 per cent said that more action was needed to be taken against perpetrators of violence and abuse towards public transport workers. While just 40 per cent of members said that they feel safe at work. The union has re-iterated the need properly staffed public transport networks. The ongoing de-staffing of trains, stations and other forms of transport must be halted and reversed. The union’s survey also highlights that lone working was becoming more common and put staff more at risk of abusive and violent behaviour. Increasing the presence of staff deters perpetrators, improves the safety of both passengers and staff and means that there are more people able to respond if incidents do occur. It is also clear that the lack of action taken against perpetrators is exacerbating the problem and leading to underreporting. RMT believes that transport employers must have a robust, zero-tolerance approach to perpetrators of violence, sexual harassment and abuse of transport workers. This involves properly supporting victims, having accessible reporting procedures in place, and policies on tackling sexual harassment and violence. RMT is also campaigning for the creation of a specific offence of abuse or assault of public transport workers, mirroring legislation which already exists for some other public facing sectors, to afford additional protections to workers. END SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT WORK Union survey finds women workers across rail, bus, metro and passenger ferry sectors face sexual harassment