VIOLENT ATTACKS ON WOMEN SURGE ON RAIL NETWORK

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: september/october 2024 :: RMTnews 6 R MT has slammed the huge rise of violent crimes against women by more than 50 per cent across the rail network as totally unacceptable. Commenting on the latest British Transport Police statistics in the past two years, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the union had longstanding concerns about the prevalence of sexual violence on the public transport network. “RMT’s own research has also found that 40 per cent of women public transport workers have been sexually harassed. “Evidence shows that properly staffed trains and stations support women and girls’ feelings around their safety and security when travelling and the presence of staff can also deter perpetrators. “These shocking figures are a reminder of the need for guards on trains, and staffed stations and ticket offices to help address the epidemic of violence against women and girls,” he said. The BTP commissioned survey by found that more than a third of women had been subjected to sexual harassment or sexual offences while commuting by train or Tube. The number of crimes against women rose from 7,561 in 2021 to 11,357 in 2023. Sexual offences jumped 10 per cent from 2,235 to 2,475 over the same period, while sexual harassment reports doubled to 1,908. The union also surveyed 1,400 women workers across rail, bus, metro and passenger ferry and found that four in 10 women public transport worker said they had been sexually harassed at work in the last year though nearly 70 per cent of those affected did not report the incidents. When asked why they did not report them, 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. VIOLENT ATTACKS ON WOMEN SURGE ON RAIL NETWORK Union calls for guards on trains, staffed stations and open ticket offices to tackle the epidemic of violence