ACTING ON ASSAULTS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: nov/dec 2025 :: RMTnews 10 Since the launch of the union’s Action Against Assaults campaign, RMT has employed various strategies to highlight the need to tackle violence against workers and passengers. RMT has exposed the prevalence of violence and abuse on public transport with evidence from transport workers and official statistics revealing that it is becoming more of a problem. As part of the campaign the union has surveyed members with shocking results and is demanding additional legal protections for public transport workers. The extent of this growing violence and abuse stems from several factors, including concerted efforts to implement policies such as Driver Only Operation and ticket office closures that significantly reduce staffing and have made lone working commonplace, putting both passengers and staff at risk. These attacks on staffing have been accompanied by a lack of action taken against perpetrators and insufficient support from many employers for staff who are victims. Declining services arising from the fragmented and underfunded transport network and ongoing cuts to British Transport Police and police forces often means that perpetrators often face insufficient deterrents for their unacceptable behaviour. Trends on public transport also clearly reflect wider trends in the prevalence of anti-social behaviour. The industrial element of the campaign has focussed on increasing employer action to reduce assaults including ending lone working and minimising late-night working. This has involved supporting health and safety reps and officers to effectively address these issues. This part of the campaign will also involve work to establish effective arrangements in industry bodies, including the new Great British Railways, to reduce assaults and violence. Political actions have included campaigning for a standalone offence of abusing or assaulting public transport workers, alongside building alliances with NGOs, women’s groups and disabled people’s organisations. The union is also campaigning to protect and increase staffing levels and for a reversal of the cuts to British Transport Police. RMT SURVEY The union recently surveyed members working across public transport in rail, bus, London Underground, metro, passenger ferry and taxis to ask about their experiences of violence and abuse at work. Over 6,000 public transport workers found that: • Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) experienced workplace violence in the past year. • Of those, over 85 per cent experienced violence multiple times. • The most common form of violence was verbal abuse (92 per cent), followed by threats of violence or assault (63 per cent). • Nearly a quarter had been physically assaulted. • Members also reported experiencing a wide range of abusive behaviour including being assaulted with weapons; racial harassment; sexual harassment or assault; LGBT+ harassment and being spat at or targeted with bodily fluids. • Of those who experienced workplace violence, 60 per cent were lone working at ACTION AGAINST ASSAULTS ACTING ON ASSAULTS RMT campaign tackling violence against transport workers RMT DEMANDS • Stronger legal protections for public transport workers who are assaulted at work. • Proper staffing levels and an end to lone working. • More action from employers to protect workers from assault • Opposing cuts to the British Transport Police