Services firm Serco has launched a campaign in partnership with trade unions to clamp down on “violence, aggression and abuse” directed at its staff.
The ‘Respect and Protect’ campaign was launched at Serco’s Environmental Services depot last week, as part of its contract with Hammersmith and Fulham council, in South West London.
Serco launched its campaign at the company’s Environmental Services depot in Fulham
The company says its staff – which offer front-line local services including waste and recycling collection and street cleaning – were subjected to 350 reported incidents of unacceptable behaviour, including assault, threats with weapons and verbally abuse in 2018.
This included employees threatened with knives and on one occasion a gun, “a number of occasions where waste and recycling collection teams have been subjected to assault as well as abuse and threats, from irate and disgruntled motorists”, and call centre employees suffering insults, intimidation and threats.
Charter
A Charter of Protection has been agreed between Serco and its customers, including local authorities, respective unions and the police.
The Charter aims to raise awareness and increase understanding of violence, aggression and abuse at work, and to provide a framework of response to identify, prevent and manage such issues.
Commenting on the campaign, Liz Yates, operations director of Serco Citizen Services, said: “It is completely unacceptable that our people should be subjected to violence, aggression and abuse at work.
“Serco, our customers and unions have a common shared interest in preventing threats and acts of violence. Serco’s ‘Respect and Protect’ campaign is being launched in a joint approach to ensuring that the risks of encountering violence and aggressive behaviour at work are assessed, prevented, and if encountered, addressed appropriately.
“We will not hesitate to report incidents to the police and support prosecutions. We will work with our partners and enforcement agencies to support our employees; they deserve to be respected and protected and we must collectively do all we can to ensure that everyone goes home safely.”
Serco describes itself as “a leading provider of public services”, whose customers include governments or others operating in the public sector.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
