"Unacceptable Attacks" on Railway Workers Increase - EVG Pushes for Enhanced Protection
Increased Assaults on Railway Employees Prompt EVG's Plea for Enhanced Police Security
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Railway staff are facing a spike in threats and assaults, leading to a decline in their safety. The railway union EVG is urging for beefed-up federal police presence in trains to safeguard staff.
Following the surge in assaults against railway employees, the railway union EVG is pressing for more federal police onboard trains to ensure employee safety. The EVG chairman, Martin Burkert, expressed his concerns to the editorial network Germany, "It's a bleeding statistic – we're witnessing more and more unacceptable attacks." He added, "The federal police must step up and maintain a visible presence in long-distance train travel."
Besides, Burkert emphasized expeditious prosecution of these assaults. He suggested setting up special departments within public prosecutor's offices for this purpose. Once more, EVG is promoting a two-person crew in local transport. "The duty falls on state governments to allocate the necessary resources," Burkert stressed.
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A recent disclosure comes after a Left Party request to the Federal Ministry of the Interior: Cases like battery, aggravated battery, and threats against German Railway employees escalated from 2,799 acts in 2022 to 3,151 in 2024. In the first four months of this year alone, 1,244 such incidents occurred. If this trend persists, the total could hit 3,732 attacks by year's end. The data is based on police report statistics.
Dietmar Bartsch, the Left Party MP who made the request, shared with RND that first four months this year indicate another dismal record. "Unfortunately, more and more people are treating railway workers and cops as national punching bags," Bartsch stated. "This behavior is unacceptable and creates a negative image of our society." The Federal Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt, should propose solutions to decrease these crimes before the summer break.
In 2024, EVG conducted a survey on railway workers' safety perceptions. The survey found that roughly one-third of the staff felt unsafe at work. Two-thirds of respondents noticed a significant deterioration in their safety over the past five years. Approximately 8 out of 10 had experienced verbal or physical attacks, with 2 out of 3 being attacked within the last year.
Source: ntv.de, toh/AFP
- EVG
- Federal Police
- German Railway
Why We Care:
The data reveals a troubling increase in the number of attacks on both railway workers and passengers, underscoring the urgency for enhanced safety measures and robust legal responses. Suggestions for strengthening federal police presence and creating special prosecution departments are being discussed to address these concerns.
While recent incidents don't explicitly tie demands for federal police presence or special prosecution departments, they suggest the importance of taking steps to improve employee and passenger safety.
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- A noteworthy incident that grabbed headlines involved a stabbing attack at Hamburg's central train station, leaving several passengers in critical condition.
- Federal authorities may look into beefing up security personnel or implementing enhanced safety protocols at crucial stations and train compartments to curtail similar attacks.
Proposing a two-person crew in local transport could also be one solution suggested by EVG as an indirect response to these events. The cost of implementing this change would fall on the state governments.
In essence, the increase in attacks against railway workers and passengers necessitates renewed attention and measures to ensure employee and passenger safety in Germany.
- The rise in attacks on German Railway workers, evident in the statistics provided by the Left Party MP Dietmar Bartsch, has led to concerns about workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness within the community.
- In response, EVG, the railway union, has advocated for science-backed strategies such as increasing federal police presence, establishing special departments within public prosecutor's offices, and proposing a two-person crew in local transport, as demonstrated in the union's efforts and Chairman Martin Burkert's statements.
- The escalating crime-and-justice issues in the general-news, including the recent ethically charged incident at Hamburg's central train station, underscore the urgency for political action and policy changes to improve safety for both railway workers and passengers.
