CROSS COUNTRY – ANTISOCIAL & CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR ON TRAINS

Our ref: HSR

Head Office Circular: NP/272/24

13^th November 2024

To: The Secretary

ALL BRANCHES

REGIONAL COUNCILS

 

Dear Colleague

 

CROSS COUNTRY – ANTISOCIAL & CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR ON TRAINS

 

Your Leicester and Rutland branch submitted the following resolution:

 

Leicester and Rutland Branch notes the recent communication from Head Office (NP/224/24) regarding Ant- Social Behaviour on some Great Western Railway routes and its impact and effect on members working those routes. 

 

We believe that Anti-Social and criminal behaviour experienced by our brothers and sisters at GWR may be more widespread in the industry as a whole than is expressed in the aforementioned

 

As such, Members of this Branch are concerned about the increase in ASB including assaults – verbal and physical on not only but mainly guards working trains between Leicester and Birmingham. This in itself is intolerable but is made worse by an almost complete lack of support from BTP and Cross Country management in the form of, for example, Revenue Support Staff as a regular back up on the most problematic trains. Guards are left completely unsupported and in most cases having to deal with a situation alone. 

 

The problem is exacerbated by gatelines frequently left open and unattended where, were they to be fully staffed, access of the perpetrators of ASB to trains might be prevented in a number of cases.  To illustrate the problem, we have examples of Leicester based Cross Country Trains guard members having to resort to call “999” during incidents and receiving no reply. 

 

We fully expect this situation to get worse as we approach the Christmas season with the consumption of excess alcohol frequently leading to our members facing threats and assaults. 

 

We call on the General Secretary to conduct a comprehensive survey of all members of all TOCs as soon as is reasonably achievable, in order to establish the full extent of this problem including BTP availability and TOCs not taking staff assault and abuse seriously. Further, and having done so, to push forward with a realistic all TOCs solution in which all TOCs address the concerns of members.  

 

I received a report from your lead officer concerning the increasing and unacceptable number of reports from Cross Country members regarding verbal and physical assaults at work. Additionally, members have reported that they do not feel supported at work by the company regarding these serious situations and that they are not being supported adequately by BTP when they request their support.

 

I therefore wrote to members advising you of your rights and also to the company to express our urgent concerns. A communication was subsequently issued by the company to all employees acknowledging our concerns and directing them to the company’s WorkSafe procedure. Your lead officer has confirmed that a further meeting is being arranged with all safety representatives and company council representatives to be in attendance.

 

            At its meeting on 7^th November 2024, your National Executive Committee noted and adopted the following report from its health and safety sub-committee:

 

We note the resolution from Leicester and Rutland branch, for which it is thanked.

 

We also note the lead officer’s report for which he is thanked and the subsequent email to Cross Country members and letter to the company and its response. 

 

The General Secretary is instructed to make further representations to the employer in this matter and to assure members that, in the event of the employer not providing a satisfactory response, the union will continue to support members in the way we have done so thus far.

 

As an additional measure, the General Secretary is instructed to conduct a comprehensive survey of all members of all TOCs and open access operators as soon as is reasonably achievable, in order to establish the full extent of this problem including BTP availability and employers not taking staff assault and abuse seriously. The survey to include the question as to whether the member reported the behaviour to the employer.

 

Following completion of this survey, the General Secretary is instructed to bring the results and analysis to the attention of all TOCs via RMT’s participation in the Rail Delivery Group’s Work-related Violence Industry Group and also demand a meeting with the BTP Chief Constable.”

 

Members, branches and regional councils to be informed.

 

I am acting in line with these instructions; please bring this circular to the attention of all relevant members.

 

            Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Michael Lynch 

General Secretary