Motion 52
Violence at Work
“That this Congress notes the significant increase in incidents of workplace violence and aggression in Scotland, and the urgent need for action to strengthen legal protections and employer actions to better protect workers.
“Congress notes UNISON Scotland’s 2025 Violence at Work Report, ‘It’s Not Part of the Job’, highlighting a significant increase in violent incidents against public service workers across Scotland, particularly in Education and Social Work services. The report highlighted:
- over 75,000 incidents of violence and aggression on Scotland’s public service workers in a 12-month period, around 200 assaults each day;
- 75,411 incidents reported, equating to a 15% rise from those recorded the previous year (9,500 additional incidents);
- more than three in five (63%) of all the assaults involved local authority workers, particularly those in educational settings; and
- nearly a quarter (24%) of the 18,579 violent incidents recorded involved staff working for health boards, (up 1,700 from previous year).
“The report shows:
- clear issues with incident reporting procedures;
- lack of awareness and proper policies;
- lack of up-to-date training and development, including lack of proper de-briefs following a violent incident; and
- workers increasingly bearing the brunt of frustration from the public, often due to delays, staff shortages, or services being cut altogether.
“Congress calls on the General Council to lobby governments, employer organisations, and the HSE to take immediate action on ensuring:
- accurate and reliable systems for reporting all incidents of violence and aggression, both physical and verbal in workplaces;
- effective inspection, enforcement, and appropriate sanctions on employers who fail to protect workers;
- proactive inspections regarding violence against all staff are prioritised by HSE and greater resources be diverted to all proactive health and safety enforcement activity; and
- consultation with trade unions on measures to tackle work related violence at both national and local level.”
Mover: UNISON
RSS