East Midlands Railway (EMR) - Assaults and Violence Against Staff

Our ref: HSR

Head Office Circular NP/206/25

26^th November 2025

 

To: ALL EMR MEMBERS

 

 

Dear Colleague

 

EAST MIDLANDS RAILWAY (EMR) – ASSAULTS AND VIOLENCE AGAINST STAFF 

 

I have been receiving reports from your lead officer of an increasing number of serious violence related incidents and concerns at EMR within recent weeks and days.

 

Your Stations and On Train Representatives, along with members, are seriously concerned for their safety at work.

 

Following consultation with both the On-Train Functional Council and the Stations Functional Council, all RMT representatives were in unanimous agreement that the union has exhausted the internal machinery with EMR on matters relating to staff safety, violence, policing response, security provisions, welfare arrangements and equipment failures.

 

At its meeting on 25^th November 2025, your National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved as follows:

 

That we note the report from the lead officer and the continuing escalation of verbal and physical abuse faced by our brothers and sisters on East Midlands Railway. 

 

Two incidents were highlighted within the report that demonstrate a clear lack of respect, welfare, dignity and duty of care towards our members who overwhelmingly feel that the last course of action available after following all processes to protect themselves, to gain meaningful and constructive decisions by East Midlands Railway to take account of, and remedy these issues is the right to take industrial action. 

 

Reduced BTP presence/attendance, lack or faulty equipment and no acknowledgement from East Midlands Railway regarding these and many other issues have galvanised our members and this NEC will provide all available measures and resources to our frontline members. 

 

We instruct the general secretary to: 

 

• Write to East Midlands Railway to declare that a dispute situation now exists between our organisations, 

• Prepare a ballot matrix of all affected members (On Train and Station Grades) 

• Instruct the Lead Officer to provide further updates. 

• Upon completion of the ballot matrix, refer this matter back to this NEC. 

 

Relevant branches, Regional Councils, and members to be advised.

 

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

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Eddie Dempsey

General Secretary