Rail workers threaten industrial action over ‘downright thuggery’ and antisocial behaviour

Members of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) intend to engage in industrial action including work stoppages in protest at the “lack of protection” afforded to their members.

NBRU say authorities must act to protect rail workers from “anti-social behaviour and downright thuggery which has now gone well beyond a tipping point”.

In a letter to senior politicians including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and acting Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys, as well as to top-level figures in Irish Rail on Thursday night, the NBRU said rail workers are not working in a safe environment.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, the union’s general secretary Dermot O’Leary, said rail workers are faced with “constant harassment”.

"Members are witnessing drug taking, drug dealing in some cases, sexual assault and threats of violence. It’s horrific it’s going on for many years.

"Train hosts are not gobsmacked by people taking drugs anymore that's a regular occurrence. People shooting up in toilets, cocaine being sniffed from tables that’s a regular occurrence.

"We’re trying to encourage people back onto public transport and encourage new patrons onto public transport, what chance do we have of doing that if every second day they’re reading of instances like this. It doesn’t bode well for public transport.

"Train staff are in fear of coming to work on a regular basis,” he said.

Mr O’Leary said the NBRU have called for a dedicated Garda public transport division.

“NBRU has been calling for a dedicated garda public transport division for some time but it has unfortunately to date fallen on deaf ears.

"Iarnród Éireann has made some interventions over recent years including increased security budget and CCTV but those measures are reactionary.

“It has not delivered in terms of providing a secure and safe environment for train hosts, customer service staff, drivers, station staff and the travelling public,” he said.

Mr O’Leary said he feels that politicians have a “pivotal role” to play in addressing this issue.

“I would like to think that the Taoiseach, along with his government partners, will take a fresh look at how we can make public transport, including our railway, a safe place to work and travel.

"What was a pleasant journey one time is now turned into a situation where you choose your trains and something needs to give here.

"I would say to all politicians are they actually waiting for someone to be seriously hurt here or worse whether that be a passenger or a staff member are they going to stand there and say we should have done more it's a bit late then,” he said.

Mr O’Leary said a week does not pass by without reports of anti-social behaviour.

“Something serious is going to occur unless we tackle this issue,” he said.

"Frontline workers have to walk the gauntlet of abuse, threatened assaults, physical violence and constant harassment. Something has to give here.”

“The staff we represent, not only in Cork, but across the network, are at the end of their tether, they have had enough,” he said.

Mr O’Leary said to describe the incidents as anti-social behaviour “belies what is actually occurring on a daily basis on our trains”.

In the letter, train staff detailed incidents of aggression and other anti-social behaviour.

One staff member said they were threatened by a passenger and verbally abused. They said they witnessed the consumption of alcohol and that some people were not wearing face coverings.

Irish Rail said it had been “working extensively with our employees and trade unions, with An Garda Síochána, and our private security personnel to ensure we both proactively put in place measures to address anti-social behaviour, and respond to specific incidents, to ensure we have as safe a travelling and working environment as possible”.

The company said: “The measures in place and those planned are yielding and will continue to yield results, and we want to continue working with our employees and trade unions to address the scourge of anti-social behaviour.

"Disrupting, through industrial action, the overwhelming majority of customers who are law-abiding and rely on our services daily will not achieve this.”