Beating the aggressors

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محتوى الصفحة: Home > مجلة النقل الدولي "Transport International" > Issue 19 April 2005 > Beating the Aggressors

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The ILO’s new code of conduct – the need for which is borne out by the results of a small ITF survey – will assist urban transport unions in their efforts to stamp out violence against their members

The International Labour Organisation expects this year to complete its dissemination of a new ILO code of conduct on violence and stress at work, to government agencies, employers and workers’ organisations all over the world.

Over the last decade, the general trend in urban transport has been a steady rise in the number of reported incidents of violence against transport workers as well as against members of the travelling public. Improvements to and greater media interest in reporting methods will account for some of the figures, but key socio-economic factors are accepted as being central to the problem.

An earlier ILO working paper discussed the weak spots that make transport systems such routine targets for violence. Some are timeless and integral to the nature of the work, others are aggravated by current business and economic trends.

Train stations, bus terminals and passenger vehicles themselves provide would-be assailants with “situational opportunities” for crime. It is easy to pick on a lone driver or ticket inspector, especially during quiet night shifts. A cab driver or rail inspector insisting on payment of a fee opens him or herself up to a conflict situation.

Bus, taxi and lorry drivers in many countries complain about harassment and extortion at road blocks or border posts by members of the armed forces, police and customs agents. There are growing numbers of informal, unregulated passenger services in some countries, whose drivers, as solo operators, may be more vulnerable to such harassment as well as to the other dangers of what the ILO terms a “fiercely competitive, ill-disciplined industry.”

The formal public transport services are also subject to cost and competitive pressures. Deregulation and privatisation have resulted in the underfunding of many services, which lead in turn to congestion, service delays and ultimately, passenger frustration. At the same time staffing cuts – to the number of guards, inspectors, and ticketing staff for example – mean there are fewer uniformed staff to deter, witness or deal with any violent incidents.

As the ILO code makes clear, the responsibility for developing policies, prevention and response programmes is shared by governments, employers and unions. Information is the essential starting point for gaining an understanding of the magnitude and character of the problem to be addressed in any one service.

In February 2004, four months after the adoption of the ILO code, the ITF sent out two questionnaires to its urban transport affiliates. Its objective was to gain a better understanding of drivers’ experiences of violence and the policies and approaches of their unions in tackling the problem.

The response samples were fairly small. Drivers from 13 unions supplied their personal experiences of assaults and 23 unions responded to questions about union policies. Responses came from every world region but in the case of both questionnaires, Europe accounted for two thirds of replies.

What drivers want

Shorter working hours
Provisions in collective agreement covering protection of workers against assaults
Double manning or conductors
More guards for passenger management
Avoiding waiting time in remote areas
Training schemes for prevention and handling assaults
Preventive defence measures and assessment methods
Clear instructions on how best to avoid attacks and what to do after the attacks
Efficient counselling and support for the victims after the attacks.

Survey results: experiences of assault

The majority of the 400+ individual respondents to the first survey were bus or train drivers with between 10 and 30 years of service. Forty taxi drivers also responded as well as a few underground, tram, light rail, coach and minibus drivers. Women represented just under a quarter of respondents and did not report specific experiences that they felt were influenced by their gender.

Sixty per cent of the sample reported that they had been subjected to violence or the threat of violence, with physical violence, threatened violence and verbal abuse equally reported. Multiple experiences were reported by some respondents, seven incidents were reported in which the victims were rendered unconscious.

Of those experiencing violence, 67 reported psychological damage and 54 sustained physical injuries. Twenty drivers said they underwent hospitalisation. Following the assault only 30 per cent of respondents reported receiving any help in the way of counselling, medical treatment or compensation. A quarter of respondents reported that their employers or they themselves were taking precautions to protect themselves against assaults – such as safety screens, alarms, radio and video systems, lockable doors and alarm buttons.

Fewer than a third of drivers reported that alarm or tracking systems were fitted on their vehicles. Only 22 per cent reported that their employers had guidelines on preventing and handling assaults. However respondents came up with a huge range of ideas on how they would improve the safety of their workplaces (see box below).

As well as suggestions for improving working conditions, ideas were proposed for closer cooperation with authorities in order to secure, for example, police assistance during night shifts and increased penalties for offenders. A range of technical measures including alarm, tracking, video and locking systems were suggested.

Trade union policies

The majority of unions who replied to the second questionnaire represented road and rail passenger transport services. However, administrative/non-mobile workers were also represented by responding unions. Only nine of the 23 unions who responded, reported having statistics on violence experienced by their members. Seven reported having special provisions in their collective agreements to protect members against violence in the workplace. Agreed provisions included various forms of help such as video surveillance, assault screens and telephones.

Three quarters of responding unions said their members have reporting and recording procedures for work-related accidents. Safety officers were appointed in some instances. In some countries, companies have to fill in documents for insurance purposes.

Half the unions reported that their employers have guidelines on preventing and handling assaults. These included the provision of training programmes for handling potential conflicts, avoiding conflicts and seeking assistance, video surveillance and radio checks.

Encouragingly 20 of the unions reported their recent involvement in developing proposals and actions to prevent violence at work. These initiatives included participation in working groups with employers, local authorities and governments, press conferences, industrial actions, education campaigns aimed at transport users, and campaigns or demands for: security guards, police support, legal assistance for drivers and increased penalties for offenders.

Commenting on the surveys ITF Inland Transport Secretary Mac Urata said :

“These results, though reflecting small survey samples, give us very useful insights into the experiences of urban transport workers and the efforts of their unions to work for an end to violence against vulnerable employees. We hope that widespread dissemination of the new ILO code of conduct will provide a useful reference point and help these and many other unions to secure the policies and provisions they desperately need to protect their members.”

The ILO Code of Conduct

Core issues: The policy should address at least the following... more>>

الصفحة الرئيسية للأقسام:
Issue 19 April 2005

صفحات أخرى لـ Beating the Aggressors:
The ILO Code of Conduct

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