RMT HEALTH AND SAFETY ADVISORY CONFERENCE
YORK 19 FEBRUARY 2025
Doug Russell
▪ 1990s HSE agreesViolence is a H&S issue
First guidance for employers published https://books.hse.gov.uk/gempdf/indg69.pdf
▪ 2003 ILO Code of Practice on Workplace Violence in Service Sectors
▪ 2010 EU Multi-sector social dialogue on 3rd Party Violence
https://www.cseeetuce.org/images/attachments/multi_sectoral_guidelines_rev_EN.p df
▪ 2019 ILO Convention 190 onViolence and Harassment in the World of Work
https://www.ilo.org/topics-and-sectors/violenceand-harassment-world-work#introduction
▪ 2022 UNI Global report onViolence to commerce workers
https://uniglobalunion.org/report/the-inconvenient-truth-thepandemic-of-violence-and-harassment-in-commerce/
40 YEARS OF TRADE
COMMON THEMES ACROSS
MANY SECTORS
• Violence and harassment is massively under-reported.
• Need for sector-specific and locationspecific risk assessments
• Quality training in risk avoidance and conflict reduction does help:
• sector specific
• risk based.
• Workers and reps must be consulted and involved in risk assessments
• Customer engagement through posters/social media/etc. has limited value but is important.
• Fear of violence and abuse is a significant cause of work-related stress.
• The risk of violence is massively affected by wider socio-economic issues.
USDAW FREEDOM FROM FEAR CAMPAIGN
Campaign started in 2003
Still one of the Union’s major campaigns.
Use of Freedom from Fear logo and Respect for Shopworkers messaging rather than Zero Tolerance.
From the start combined political campaigning with negotiating with employers and organising in the workplace
Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021
Promise of legislation in Westminster Parliament
Some of the things we did
Used union reps to carry out our own surveys of shopworkers. Face to face interviews. 3,000 to 8,000 every year. Linked to recruitment and organising.
Organised Union-led summit meetings to bring together Ministers, HSE, Police and employers.
Respect Week customer-facing campaign
Protected earnings for members who need time off with no loss of sick pay entitlement.
Extended to members at risk in other sectors – call centres, HGV drivers, funeral services.
2023 Freedom from Fear survey results https://usdawlive.b-cdn.net/live/media/nvzhuezp/fff-survey-results-report-2023.pdf
HEALTH AND SAFETY REPS AT THE CENTRE
Reps do the hard work in our annual surveys
Evidence from reps face-to-face interviews with workers has been vital
Shows scale if under-reporting
Shows trends in levels of abuse and violence
Identifies main triggers for violence and abuse
Identifies what workers want from their employers
Provides real stories to use in the campaign
But thats not all
Checking risk assessments
Inspecting the workplace
Negotiating where procedures and protection are not working
Encouraging workers to report incidents
Investigating after incidents
Making sure victims get compensation and support they are entitled to
