‘Safety must be paramount’

Action against assaults on public-facing workers was an issue in a motion against assaults on public-facing workers.

The motion expressed concern at the continued epidemic of workplace violence and abuse against public-facing workers.

Unite delegate Christopher Mort, was due to speak in support, but he wasn’t called. We?ve included his speech in this coverage as a comment piece:

Over 10 million passenger journeys are taken by bus every day, making it the most popular mode of public transport.

Everyday bus workers are verbally and physically assaulted by the people they transport ? and this has soared since the pandemic.

Verbal abuse against workers in passenger transport is fast becoming the norm. In other walks of live it would be recognised as a hate time. For us it is now just part of the job.

Our research shows a horrifying 82 per cent of bus drivers have been subject to abuse.

Over half now say they feel unsafe at work.

What do the employers do? They claim to support us, but they dump all of their responsibility on workers to report the crime to police in our own time. The only thing they care about is making sure the service is not interrupted.

It is little wonder then, that bus workers have become so used to this mistreatment and the failings of their employers, that the vast majority no longer report incidents.

Our industry is trying to recruit more women into the sector, but it refuses to do anything at all to protect women drivers from sexual harassment, including on the journey to and from work.

Congress, no worker in passenger transport should go to work expecting to be verbally or physically assaulted. Violence to workers should not be considered normal or commonplace.

Workers who provide vital public services should be treated with dignity and respect. Their safety must be paramount.

Compiled by Amanda Campbell

Photo by Mark Thomas