About this campaign
As we head into the winter months, the clocks have changed leading to darker evenings and soon darker mornings will follow.
Many Usdaw members are travelling to and from work when it’s dark and this can lead to concerns about personal safety.
Usdaw’s Safe Journeys to Work campaign aims to ensure that members feel safe not just when they are at work but also when they on their way to and from their place of work.
Feeling unsafe when leaving work
Usdaw research found that women are twice as likely to feel unsafe on their way to work than men.
Some of the problems our members are encountering on their journeys to work are dark car parks, travelling on public transport and last-minute shift changes that can mean missing the last bus home.
Being harassed when travelling to work at night can be an issue for both men and women but primarily for women who are more likely than men to have experienced harassment on their way to work.
Research by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust found that 97% of women had experienced unwanted behaviours on public transport in the last five years.
Harassment, cuts to public services and travelling in the dark can make our members feel fearful about their journeys to work and Usdaw wants this to stop.
How to support this campaign
Usdaw reps are doing a fantastic job at supporting members to feel safer on their journeys to work and you can find out more about this in this leaflet.
Now we would like to hear more about the issues you are dealing with when it comes to members getting to and from work.
By collating as much information from our members as possible, we can help improve the situation and make sure no one feels vulnerable going into their work.
We have launched a new short survey to find out more about what’s happening on our members journeys to work. Please could you take a minute to respond and also share with members in your place of work and/or branch?
Campaign materials can be ordered and include posters, leaflets, surveys and guidance on how to assess the risks your colleagues face and tips on what your employer can do to overcome them.
How this helps you
Usdaw reps are taking action to address the concerns raised by our members. The Safe Journeys to Work campaign gives practical advice on how to make staff journeys safer.