Latest news with #Eddie Dempsey
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
RMT union calls for action over an 'escalation' in train violence
A rail workers' union has said there has been a "serious escalation of violence and anti-social behaviour" on routes in London and the South National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) is calling for action by Operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which runs the Gatwick Express and Southern franchises, linking London with stations in Sussex and union said its members were facing "daily incidents" of of assault, threats, spitting, verbal abuse and intimidation, and is considering industrial said it has invested £2.5m in a plan to deal with anti-social behaviour. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: "The level of violence on Southern and Gatwick Express services and stations has reached a crisis point and is totally unacceptable."Our members are being assaulted, threatened and abused at work and the company is not doing enough to stop it."GTR must take urgent action now to protect staff and passengers or we will have to consider all our options, including industrial action."The union wants additional staff deployed, including extra and more visible security, and a company-wide plan introduced. GTR's safety, health and security director Sam Facey said: "Last year we launched a £2.5m anti-social behaviour improvement plan, created following feedback from stakeholders, including the police and some of our staff and trade unions representatives."He said the rail company was "fully committed to tackling this issue by working closely with the unions and building on what we've done so far".More than 1,500 body worn cameras had been made available, said Mr Facey, adding that studies showed the cameras "reduce assaults by 47%" as well as gathering "vital evidence to prosecute".He continued: "We have also doubled the number of high-visibility travel safe officers who are deployed using data-led insight to work with British Transport Police and our teams of rail enforcement officers."We have also invested heavily in education projects for schools and colleges."But this is bigger than the railway, it is a wider, regional problem of youth violence affecting communities, particularly those on the south coast, which is why the close collaboration of the police, councils and other agencies continues to be so important in tackling this kind of behaviour."
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
RMT union threatens strikes if Labour raises state pension age
A rail union boss has threatened to launch national strikes if Labour raises the state pension age. Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), warned the Government he would 'lead our movement onto the streets and will not hesitate to protest nationally and take coordinated direct action'. His threat came after Labour opened the door for the statutory retirement age to be raised by announcing a new pensions review on Monday. The move, unveiled by Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, raises the prospect that six million Britons could be forced to delay their retirements. On Thursday, Mr Dempsey warned: 'If this Government makes any move to drastically increase the retirement age, we intend to lead our movement onto the streets and will not hesitate to protest nationally and take coordinated direct action. 'The UK state pension is already one of the worst in the entire developed world which is a direct result of decades of governments transferring both our national and personal wealth to the super rich. 'Any decision to squeeze more out of working people by forcing us to work even longer would be a national disgrace.' Instead of raising the state pension age, Mr Dempsey said the Government should impose a wealth tax on assets of over £2 million. Although the RMT is not formally affiliated to Labour, the union commands a largely public sector membership numbering around 83,000 people. Under current plans, the state pension age is on course to rise to 67 by 2028 and to 68 by 2046. However, raising the retirement age sooner than planned is politically controversial, with previous plans to do so abandoned by Jeremy Hunt, the former Chancellor, amid concerns he would struggle to justify the change. The RMT strike threat comes after Nigel Farage also backed Labour's suggestions that the state pension age must rise. The Reform UK leader said on Tuesday: 'I don't think we can really afford to [wait to the 2040s], to be frank. If there is a sudden economic miracle, then it might change that. But it does not look to be happening any time soon.' Ms Kendall said this week she was 'under no illusions' about the scale of the challenges facing both workers and the public purse as the country ages. 'Many workers are more concerned about putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads than saving for a retirement that seems a long way away, and many businesses face huge challenges in keeping profitable and flexible in an increasingly uncertain world,' she said.
