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Publication Date: August 24 2007
BRITAIN'S BIGGEST rail union today renewed its call for the return of guards to all trains and for more uniformed staff on stations as British Transport Police figures released today reveal an eight per cent rise in violent crime on Britain's rail and Tube networks.
RMT also renewed its demand for the reinstatement of sacked guard Paul Yarwood, who was unfairly sacked by 'One' following an incident with a violent and abusive fare-evader.
"It is our members who have to bear the brunt of aggressive, drunken behaviour, particularly at night and particularly when working alone, yet year on year the figures go up, and it is time to put staff safety ahead of profits," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.
"Just as our members want to be able to work in safety, members of the public, particularly women travelling alone, should not have to run the gauntlet on deserted stations late at night or worry about being attacked in a train carriage.
"Deputy-chief constable Andy Trotter is quite right to say that rail staff should not have to tolerate abuse and violence, yet when Paul Yarwood tried to deal with a violent fare evader in Colchester he ended up on the dole.
"The head-in-the-sand attitude of One railway perfectly illustrates everything that is bad about rail employers' attitudes towards violence against their own staff.
"Employers say they encourage reporting, but far too often staff who do report incidents are made to feel that they are the problem.
"Passengers and railway workers alike want to see more staff on stations and trains, not fewer, yet cost-cutting private rail employers - and sadly even London Underground - are looking for more cuts in station staff.
"We need adequate staff on every station all the time they are open and a guard on every train, including on the Tube, and we need the BTP to have enough resources to respond in time, every time," Bob Crow said.
