Over 75% of transport workers ready to take industrial action over staff assaults, warns RMT

The union's latest survey of over 6,000 members across rail, bus, metro, maritime and underground sectors found that 63% experienced workplace violence in the past year, and over 85% of them were assaulted multiple times.

The majority of cases involved verbal abuse, with many also facing threats, physical assaults, and harassment including racist and sexist abuse.

Notably, 61% of the most serious incidents occurred during lone working.

The union has also cited British Transport Police figures showing a 47% rise in violence and serious public order offences against rail staff between 2021 and 2024, alongside a 5% year-on-year increase in work-related violence and aggression on the TfL network.

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “Our members are being spat at, stabbed, threatened and abused on a regular basis while simply doing their jobs.

“This crisis has been fuelled by rail employers seeking to de-staff the railway and failing to hold perpetrators to account.

“De-staffing of public transport also puts passengers at increased risk of assault and anti-social behaviour.

“Employers and the government must act now to end lone working, restore staff numbers, reverse BTP cuts and support the introduction of a specific offence for assaulting a public transport worker.

“If our members do not see progress on this critical issue, then they are ready to escalate matters industrially, up to and including taking strike action.”

The findings come as RMT launches its new campaign “Action Against Assaults”, which aims to drive industrial and political action across all sectors the union represents to end violence on public transport to protect worker and passenger safety.

Key demands include:

Ending lone working and late-night vulnerabilities

Stronger legal protections, with a standalone offence for assaulting public transport workers

Ensuring adequate staffing levels and reversal of cuts to British Transport Police

Better reporting systems, support services, and full sick pay for victims

With 95% of staff backing legal reform, 87% calling for more staff on stations and trains, and nearly 80% prepared to take industrial action, RMT is calling for urgent action to deal with staff assaults.

END

Notes:

RMT is backing a Parliamentary amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, tabled by Rachael Maskell MP, to legally protect all public transport workers from abuse and assault—similar to existing protections for emergency workers and proposed ones for retail staff. The union will also pursue the amendment in the House of Lords.

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