Violence at Work

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محتوى الصفحة: Home > مجلة النقل الدولي "Transport International" > Issue 37 - October 2009 > Violence at Work

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Working in passenger transport should be satisfying, rewarding, comfortable, decently paid and safe. Unfortunately the reality is often very different.

Transport workers are being exposed to increasing levels of violence. The privatisation and deregulation of passenger transport systems have often led to poorer services and worse conditions for workers. Employers and governments take less responsibility to protect workers. In some countries this has resulted in unrestricted competition for passengers and routes, leading to an uncontrolled battleground between rival employer groups.

Violence then comes from a number of sources. Passengers become frustrated when transport services don’t work efficiently and they take it out on frontline workers. Fellow workers lash out under the strain of insecure employment, longer hours and less staffing. Some police are more interested in seeking bribes rather than enforcing the law.

According to a 2008 study by the British affiliate RMT, there were 4,865 reported assaults against rail workers in 2007 – 13 incidents a day, and a 50 per cent increase on the 2002 figure of 3,179. The situation in other countries is just as bad.

Violence has become part of the daily routine for transport workers, but it shouldn’t be.

What is violence?

According to a paper produced for the International Labour Organization in 2003:

“Violence at work can be defined as incidents where employees are abused, threatened, assaulted or subject to other offensive behaviour in circumstances related to their work. Violence includes physical and non-physical violence. It finds expression in physical assault, homicide, verbal abuse, bullying, mobbing, sexual and racial harassment, threats and mental stress.”

Unions say no to violence!
On 28 April 2009, almost 50 unions representing rail, bus and taxi workers in 37 countries came together for an action day organised by the ITF Railway Workers’ Section.

Danish rail union negotiates solutions from employer and government
The Danish Railway Workers’ Union has negotiated an agreement with employers and government agencies to improve workers’ safety from violence.

Indian union maps violence to find solutions
The Southern Railway Mazdoor Union carried out a survey earlier this year, which led them to launch a workplace violence campaign.

Violence at work could also include suicides and acts of terrorism. Sexual harassment is also a form of violence, and many incidents go unreported. Often, victims fear that if they do, they will lose their job and, unfortunately, colleagues may ignore such incidents with the attitude that “it is part of the job”.

Violence can be physical or psychological. It can be an isolated incident or a series of organised events. It can be visible or it can be hidden.

Targeting workplace violence

Transport workers are the victims of workplace violence. But by working together, we can stop it.

The first step is to challenge the idea that there is no solution. Transport workers, together with their unions, must take the lead in addressing the issue and campaigning for measures to stop violence.

Raising awareness is vital in order to bring this – often silent – issue into the open and to change existing attitudes and behaviours that normalise violence. Education by unions on violence and workers’ rights is key.

Adequate, clear and efficient reporting mechanisms in the workplace, as well as the inclusion of confidential procedures, are important. Rights and protections should be recognised in agreements with employers, fully respected and implemented. Existing legislation should also be reviewed and improved as necessary.

The organisation and mobilisation of transport workers is essential to progress the campaign to stop work-related violence. By standing together, transport workers taking part in a small local action or activity will do so knowing that they are part of a visible global campaign. Transport workers and unions can demonstrate to governments and employers that they are not alone. This will help ensure that union demands for responsibilities to be taken seriously are heard. Unions can then enter into negotiations to put preventive measures into practice.

What is the ITF doing?

The ITF Inland Transport Sections have started a series of campaign activities in 2009 on violence in public transport. The aim is to help unions develop strategic responses. We have produced a booklet for union activists and educators, to identify the issues and possible solutions. And we have developed a leaflet for distribution to workers to raise awareness about violence at work.

In April, the Railway Workers’ Action Day was organised under the theme “Unions Say No to Violence”. We are also running a survey specifically for women road and rail transport workers looking at their experiences of violence and sexual harassment.

All these activities are part of an on-going campaign by the ITF Inland Transport Sections on violence in public transport. Visit:
www.itfglobal.org/urban-transport/notoviolence.cfm

What can you do?

Hold a workplace meeting to discuss the issues with workers around you. Talking about the issue and worker experiences immediately makes the problem visible. A worker at the centre of the problem can also be best placed to assess the risks and suggest solutions.
Contact your union to find out information on the union’s campaign on violence at work.
Through your union organise and campaign to demand solutions and improved work conditions.
Organise your activities to support other transport worker action campaigns, such as ITF Road Transport Action Week in October, ITF Rail Action Day in March, International Women’s Day in March, UN Day for Elimination of Violence against Women in November.
Order copies of the ITF booklet and leaflet on violence in public transport and use them to develop education and campaign activities around the issues in your workplace as well as for collective bargaining.
(www.itfglobal.org/urban-transport/notoviolence-booklet.cfm)
Conduct the ITF survey on violence and sexual harassment for women road transport and railway workers in your workplace.
(www.itfglobal.org/urban-transport/notoviolencewomen.cfm)
Keep in touch with the ITF Inland Transport Sections and report transport workers’ experiences of workplace violence, as well as best practice cases in dealing with the issue. This will help to deepen our understanding of the problem and continue to build a strong campaign and strategy.
(http://tiny.cc/survey966)
Work collectively – become a member of an active union. If there is no union in your workplace, check with other transport workers to see if they are members of a good union – you could help the union to recruit members in your workplace. If there is no union, you could approach a local workers’ association to see if it will support you.

Claire Clarke is personal assistant, ITF Inland Transport Sections.

الصفحة الرئيسية للأقسام:
Issue 37 - October 2009

صفحات أخرى لـ Violence at Work:
Unions Say No to Violence

نسخة الرسومات الكاملة

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