STAFF ASSAULTS

Our ref: HSR

Head Office Circular NP/190/25

6^th November 2025

 

To: ALL MEMBERS

 

 

Dear Colleague

 

STAFF ASSAULTS 

 

Four resolutions submitted by your National Industrial Organising Conference of Station & Associated Grades were considered by your National Executive Committee (NEC) on 2^nd October 2025 as listed below:

 

 

1. STAFF ASSAULTS AND VIOLENCE ON THE RAILWAY: ORR RESPONSE

 

The Conference notes that Station staff have been at the forefront of the mass rise in staff assaults. We remember the tragic death of bro Jorge Ortega at Ilford 

 

2024 was again a record year for staff assaults. 

 

This Conference notes that the majority of railway companies haven’t made any improvements in safety in regard to this issue.

 

This Conference requests a meeting(s) with the regulator who must start in holding these companies to account under duty of care and risk assessments.

 

 

Your NEC resolved as follows:

 

That we note the resolution from the National Industrial Organising Conference of Station and Associated Grades.

 

We instruct the General Secretary to arrange a meeting with the ORR, members of the station grades liaison committee, and the Senior Assistant General Secretary.

 

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

 

 

2. ESCALATION OF STAFF ASSAULTS

 

The 2025 National Industrial Organising Conference of Station Grades notes with alarm the escalation in the number and severity of assaults on frontline transport workers, such as Station Grades.

 

The government; transport employers and media have publicly denigrated frontline workers in all public services - particularly railway staff - as the enemy within, as they fought to defend their jobs, conditions, and pay.

 

The critical understaffing of transport networks and the British Transport Police have contributed to unsafe working arrangements such as lone working and an unsecured transport network, which undermine the prevention of violent crime. These issues have contributed to transport workers undertaking their duties in frightening conditions.

 

Therefore, this 2025 National Industrial Organising Conference of Station Grades recognising the issues raised in this resolution are of an industrial, legal and political character, calls upon our National Executive Committee to instruct the General Secretary to place a campaign strategy addressing the necessary legal, industrial and political actions required for the protection and safety of frontline transport workers before the NEC for their consideration.

 

Once complete the support of the TUC and relevant TUC affiliates should be sought to convene a summit to adopt common industrial, legal and political aims and launch a unified campaign to protect frontline transport workers.

 

Your NEC resolved as follows:

 

We note the AGM decision and instruct the General Secretary to take it up in line with the resolution.

 

 

3. STAFF ASSAULTS

 

That this Conference congratulates our station grades members at Nottingham who have stood up against bullying and incompetent management with a ballot for action.

 

RMT members working in Gate line, Platforms and Ticket office grades (including their supervisors) also made a stance against unsafe working and the lack of and the lack of security for frontline staff who suffer regular abuse and the threat of violence.

 

We recognise the support our branch and members were given by officers and our national leadership.

 

This organised resistance has now achieved results. Our Union at Nottingham is also stronger.

 

Conference continues to support initiatives that apply pressure on employers and politicians. We do not devalue sending postcards or demonstrating outside the house of commons and no offence should be taken by our leadership - far from it.  However, the stakes working on the front line are so high that we also see the need to make a firmer industrial stance through action when required.

 

We therefore ask or NEC to increase the intensity of our campaigning against workplace abuse and violence and to lay out an active programme which places an emphasis on getting strongly organised and using industrial action when necessary.

 

Your NEC resolved as follows:

 

That we note the resolution from the National Industrial Organising Conference of Station and Associated Grades.

 

Recognising the importance of this matter, we instruct the General Secretary to continue to take this matter up in line with the resolution via our national campaign.

 

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

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

STAFF ASSAULTS AND RESOURCES

 

On Wednesday 4th December 2024 at approx. 20.50, BTP were called to Ilford Station to reports of a serious assault on Brother Jorge Ortega. He was taken to hospital with multiple head injuries and lay in a coma until he tragically passed away two days later. The assailant was arrested and has since attended court charged with murder and affray.

 

DCI Paul Attwell of BTP is quoted as saying “I would like to assure the public that this is an isolated incident”.  Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner can be quoted as saying “The safety and wellbeing of our colleagues is paramount”.

GTR’s Customer Services Director Jenny Sauders says safety is her top priority and advocates for more policing and security.

 

However, the evidence contradicts all the above. Anti-social behaviour and staff assaults have become a daily if not hourly reality that station and on-board staff are facing and fearing. Union representatives across the country have been telling management that more needs to be done to tackle this before someone gets killed.

 

Tragically, this has now happened, and Brighton & Hove City Branch call on the National Executive Committee and the General Secretary to push the Train Operating Companies across the country to tackle this problem head on and provide proper safety and security for their front-line teams.

 

With the rise in antisocial behaviour; violent attacks against our members and now the tragic loss of life at Ilford station, this Branch calls on our National Executive Committee to instruct the General Secretary that this Branch demands our National Network:

 

• Has more SIA Licenced, hands-on security at all times across the network, roving teams for smaller stations and dedicated teams at larger stations providing 24/7 coverage.

 

• Front line staff are offered self-defence training, not just conflict avoidance, for all staff and when it is employed that no-one is suspended pending investigation unless the investigation proves wrongdoing.  

 

The current approach employed by employers is guilty until proven innocent rather than the other way round. This needs to change.

 

• Total upgrade of CCTV for clearer imagery and better coverage at all locations.

 

• More funding for British Transport Police so that they have the resources to deal with incidents as they arise. They should be treated as a proper police force and should not have to rely on support from local forces who are already stretched dealing with their own jurisdictions.

 

• Finally, a cessation of lone working practices on stations and trains, and indeed no train should have only the driver on board. On top of the driver, there should be a team of on-board staff of a minimum of 2. Stations should be manned from first to last train with a minimum of two people.”

 

Your NEC resolved as follows:

That we note the resolution from the National Organising Conference of Station and Associated Grades.

 

We thank the conference for this resolution, and we instruct the General Secretary to continue to take this matter up in line with the resolution via our national campaign, Action Against Assaults, and to continue to fight for all staff to be insourced.

 

 

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