Employers were accused yesterday of failing to protect workers from increased levels of verbal and physical violence by members of the public.
Citing instances of assaults, threats and kidnappings, delegates to the Ictu conference passed a number of motions calling for employers and the Irish and British governments to do more to ensure workers' safety.
An Irish Nurses' Organisation delegate, accident and emergency nurse Joe Hoolan, said he had been punched, kicked, spat at and threatened with a syringe while trying to care for patients. He accused employers of ignoring their health and safety obligations to staff.
Mandate delegate Mary Larkin said she was aware of two shops where staff had been expected to work normally after their stores were robbed at gunpoint.
Where verbal abuse was concerned, employers seemed to feel that the customer was always right, no matter what the circumstances, she said. One motion passed, tabled by the Irish Bank Officials' Association (IBOA), said the worrying trend in bank robberies was a cause of concern to all employees and customers, and called on financial institutions to review security arrangements.
The association's general secretary, Larry Broderick, criticised a guide book which listed the Northern Bank, robbed of more than £26 million last year, as a tourist attraction for Ictu conference delegates to visit.
A motion by Mandate called on employers to put more emphasis on violence and the threat of violence in the completion of risk assessments, including specific provision for protection against robbery, physical violence, verbal abuse and threats.
A motion due to be debated yesterday, put forward by the Galway Trades Union Council and calling for July 12th to be made an annual public holiday in the Republic, was withdrawn without discussion.
