Violence at Work

Head Office Circular NP/100/21
Our Ref: HSR/2/2
30th March 2021
The Secretary
ALL BRANCHES
ALL REGIONAL COUNCILS

Dear Colleague

VIOLENCE AT WORK

I write with regards to the above matter to inform you that a resolution, Item 45, which was passed at the RMT Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2020 was considered by your National Executive Committee (NEC) recently.

This resolution together with the NEC decision is as follows:

This conference notes the resolution passed by the RMT London Transport Regional Council calling for a combine wide ballot of station grades members over London Underground’s failure to properly address the issue of workplace violence.

This conference also notes the call from Revenue Control Inspectors on London Underground for a ballot of revenue grade members in response to plans to create a two-tier workforce and potentially phase out the RCI grade.

This conference also notes RMT’s 2018 survey of Night Tube workers, which found that 88.2% of workers had been verbally abused in the workplace, with approximately 1/3 women workers and 1/5 male workers having experienced physical assault.

This conference also notes RMT’s successful efforts to improve cab security for London Underground drivers, in response to workplace violence experienced by our members in that grade.

This conference believes these issues are not limited to London Underground, and are endemic wherever companies have de-staffed our workplaces, increasing lone working.

This conference also believes that external security measures, such as requests for increased police presences, more CCTV coverage, and body-worn video cameras, cannot be relied upon. Moreover, we oppose attempts by employers to address staff concerns around workplace violence by deploying externally-employed staff, including agency security staff, to our workplaces. We maintain that all workers employed to work on our stations should be directly employed, fully trained and licensed, and on equal terms and conditions to other workers.

This conference therefore resolves that the national union should continue and reinvigorate campaigning for increased staffing levels throughout our workplaces; for an end to lone working; for an adequate and accessible place of safety in all areas of the workplace; and for additional safety measures, including increased staffing levels, to be put in place for workers working night shifts and other unsociable hours where risks may be greater.

This conference resolves to mobilise full support for any group of RMT members taking industrial action to pursue these demands.”

At its meeting on 25th March 2021 the NEC noted and adopted the following report of its Health and Safety sub-committee:

We welcome this resolution and note that the matters raised therein are already in line with union policy.

RMT reiterates its stance that workplace violence is totally unacceptable and that we will allocate resources as necessary to address the points raised in the resolution and will of course support our members who find themselves in such predicaments.

The General Secretary is instructed to produce appropriate literature and prepare a press release.

Branches and Regional Councils to be informed.

I am acting in accordance with these instructions and will keep you advised of developments.

Yours sincerely

Mick Cash
General Secretary