Fact Service April 2022

Issue 16

Union urges rail company to remedy uniform mistake

Transport union TSSA has written to the managing director of rail operator Avanti West after uniform blouses it planned to bring in turned out not to be opaque.

In his letter, the union’s general secretary, Manuel Cortes, said he wanted to “formally ask that you withdraw the blouses which have caused so much alarm not just among our women members, but all women expected to wear them. We also want Avanti to enter into consultation with our workplace reps about replacement uniforms”.

He continued: “Women members of our union have said they are appalled and feel exposed by the blouses which show their bras from both the back and the front. This is disgraceful treatment of the workforce, which seems to be done in the name of providing the very cheapest materials available.

Please withdraw these uniforms which make women targets, and work together with our union on finding a suitable alternative so Avanti staff, our hard-working members, have the respect they rightly deserve."

https://www.tssa.org.uk/news-and-events/tssa-news/avanti-boss-urged-to-withdraw-see-through-uniforms