Stamping Out Roadworker Abuse

TAMESIDE Council has pledged its support to Stamp it Out, a new national campaign which describes itself as putting a foot down against roadworker abuse.

Mainly focused on highlighting unacceptable behaviour towards people working on the public highway, it describes its vision as a United Kingdom where all those working on the roads are treated with the respect deserved of people operating in such challenging and dangerous conditions.

However, abuse is not only restricted to those from Engineering Services working on the roads. Greenspace, Operations and the refuse collection teams are also affected.

To demonstrate its backing for Stamp it Out, Tameside Council has approved the following management statement:

“Tameside Council (Operations and Neighbourhoods) are passionate and committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of all employees.

“Often our employees are subject to abuse on the highway and this includes verbal attacks and threats. These incidents have the potential to harm the workers’ physical and mental wellbeing.

“All of our employees have the right to feel safe while at work and nobody should ever be intimidated, endangered or attacked. 

“We will not tolerate any form of abuse whatsoever and fully support the Stamp it Out campaign.

“We will abide by campaign’s principles and objectives by ultimately eradicating all abuse to our employees working on the highway.”

Cllr Jan Jackson, Tameside Council’s executive member for planning, transport and connectivity, said: “All of us who drive will know the frustration of being held up by roadworks or some sort of vehicle or equipment, but please think before you speak. The people involved are only doing their job, and that job is to make improvements. Things will generally be better in only a few days.

“We also need to bear in mind the work that’s done by contractors. If they suffer abuse while carrying out their tasks they’ll be much less inclined to come to Tameside in the future.”

Cllr Denise Ward, executive member for environmental services, added: “Conditions can often be tough enough for our employees without them being subjected to bad behaviour.

“Any kind of abuse, physical or verbal, is always totally unacceptable. I fully endorse Tameside Council’s support for the Stamp it Out campaign.”

For more information visit www.stampitout.uk