CAMPAIGNING TO STEM ASSAULTS

RMT has launched a campaign to establish an industry-wide code of protection for workers in the rail, bus and ferry sectors to stem a ‘tidal wave’ of violence. Cross-company zero- tolerance campaigns, an end to unnecessary lone-working, more uniformed staff and better legal protection for transport workers are at the heart of the campaign. After surveying front-line RMT members, it revealed that official assault figures represent only the tip of the iceberg, that police fail to attend as many as 40 per cent of reported incidents and that more than a third of incidents go unreported. There were 4,865 reported assaults against rail workers in 2007 – that’s 13 a day, and a 50 per cent increase on the 2002 figure of 3,179 – and that is also aside from the 2,064 assaults against staff reported on London Underground in 2006/07. But data collected from RMT members suggests that most front-line transport workers can expect to be threatened, abused or physically assaulted at work. RMT’s charter calls for a unified zero-tolerance approach among all transport employers, with all incidents investigated and appropriate action taken, along with proper risk- assessment, effective training and encouragement to report all incidents. The main aim should be to prevent assaults, but there should also in place adequate care to ensure that victims of assaults are given all the support and assistance they need. RMT has welcomed changes to guidelines that will result in tougher sentences for those who assault public-service workers, but the union will continue campaigning for the law to treat assaults on transport workers with the same severity as assaults on emergency workers. Amateur EDM The union’s campaign already has the backing of 76 MPs who have so far signed an early-day motion 901 (see page 15) that urges the government and employers to take all necessary steps to prevent assaults and to secure the strongest possible legal protection for transport workers. “The level of violence our members face at work is already unacceptable, yet year on year the problem gets worse, and it is time to put staff safety ahead of profits,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said. “No-one should have to regard the fear of assault as part of the job, no-one should have to worry about reporting assaults for fear that they might be seen as the problem, and no- one assaulted at work should have to wonder when, let alone if, the police might arrive. “Staff who are attacked should be able to expect the best possible care and support, but all too often the employer’s response falls woefully short,” he said. COST-CUTTING RMT argues that it is cost- cutting by private operators across the transport sector that has reduced staffing to the bone and has made transport workers more vulnerable. And it is high time to reverse that trend and start putting guards and conductors back on trains and buses, and ensure that all stations and terminals are adequately staffed all the time they are open. The transport police also need enough resources to respond in time, every time, and workers need the best possible legal protection that sends out the signal that transport workers are not there to be attacked. RMT SURVEY FINDINGS • Over 70 per cent of respondents to RMT’s workplace violence survey said that they were working alone when they were assaulted. • Two thirds of assaults reported to RMT were over tickets or fare disputes • From our survey, 40 per cent of incidents reported to the BTP were not attended – but 51 per cent of those that were attended and investigated resulted in successful convictions. • The official figures from the Rail Safety and Standards board show 4,865 reported assaults against rail workers, or 13 a day, in 2007, up from 3,179 in 2002. • That figure does not include London Underground, where there were 2,064 reported assaults during 2006/07 – a 17.5 per cent increase over the previous year. • RMT’s workplace violence survey suggests that assaults are under-reported by at least 36 per cent. • The bus industry has been so fragmented since its deregulation and privatisation in the mid-1980s that industry-wide assault figures are simply not kept. In an RMT survey of bus workers in 2007, only a third of respondents believed their employers took adequate steps to minimise assaults and anti-social behaviour by passengers. • A survey published in 2006 by the Department for Transport showed that even employers acknowledged that ‘passenger behaviour’ was a serious issue adversely affecting recruitment and staff turnover. TRANSPORT WORKERS CHARTER OF PROTECTION RMT demands: • Workplace violence policies that adequately protect our members. • Policies that provide aftercare and counselling for staff. • Zero tolerance on violence at work and maximum penalties for offenders. • Training for staff in dealing with conflict. • Consultation on additional security measures. • Consultation on risk assessments of high-risk areas. • Elimination of lone working. • Investigation of incidents by employers and the police. • Reporting of all incidents by victims. • Improvements to the travelling environment. RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: september 2008 :: RMTnews CAMPAIGNING TO STEM THE ‘TIDAL WAVE’ OF ASSAULTS RMT launches campaign to tackle the scourge of violence at work with a transport workers’ charter of protection and a postcard campaign to call on MPs to sign Early Day Motion 901 14