Union demands action over violence against Swiss transport staff

SBB records around 10 attacks on its staff every day. The incidents range from verbal abuse and threats to physical assaults and spitting, according to Swiss Federal Railways. The figures give scale to a problem that the Transport Workers’ Union says confronts employees across Switzerland as they work on trains, at stations and on platforms.

SEV marked its second national day of action on September 2, 2026, with protests at railway stations across the country. The campaign carries a direct slogan, “Every attack is one too many”, and seeks to push workplace safety higher up the political agenda.

“The latest figures show that the problem has not abated,” SEV Vice-President Barbara Keller said in a press release. “The number of attacks on public transport staff remains at an alarmingly high level.”

The union says attacks have increased significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic. For workers responsible for ticket checks, passenger assistance and the safe operation of services, repeated abuse can become part of an ordinary shift. SEV argues that public transport employees need stronger protection as Switzerland relies on busy rail and urban transport networks every day.

Switzerland lacks comprehensive national data on violence against transport employees. SBB publishes its own figure of around ten attacks a day, yet SEV says the true extent of the problem is difficult to assess because incidents are not tracked through a single nationwide system.

That gap matters for both policy and prevention. Separate reporting practices can make it harder to compare risks between rail operators, regional networks and different types of workplaces. It can also limit Parliament’s ability to judge whether existing security measures are working. The union wants the federal government to establish a national monitoring system covering incidents involving public transport staff.

SEV plans to raise the issue during the autumn parliamentary session and is calling for an interpellation. Such a move would require the Federal Council to respond formally to questions about the scale of the violence, the reporting of attacks and the protection available to employees.

The available SBB figure covers a wide range of behaviour, from insults and threats to assault and spitting. It does not provide a national breakdown by canton, operator or incident type. Until authorities collect comparable data, the daily experience of staff outside SBB remains harder to measure.

SEV is asking employers and policymakers to put more staff on the ground. Union President Matthias Hartwich says transport companies need sufficient staffing levels, two-person patrols and systematic support for employees after an attack. The proposals target both prevention and the aftermath of violence.

Two-person patrols could reduce the isolation faced by employees dealing with difficult passengers, while adequate staffing could make it easier to respond quickly when incidents occur. SEV also wants structured assistance for workers after an assault or threat. The source does not specify a single national model for that support, leaving questions about implementation, funding and responsibility for employers and public authorities.

The debate comes as Swiss transport police are set to receive stun guns under a separate parliamentary decision, a measure intended to give police more options when confronting dangerous situations. The equipment does not resolve the union’s broader concerns about everyday contact between staff and passengers.

SEV’s demands place workplace organisation alongside policing. The union wants Parliament to examine how staffing, patrol arrangements, reporting and post-incident care fit together across Switzerland’s public transport system.

The autumn parliamentary session will determine whether the campaign produces a formal federal response. SEV wants an interpellation that brings violence against transport workers before the Federal Council. The union’s broader proposal is a national monitoring system, giving policymakers a common basis for measuring attacks and evaluating protection measures.

For Switzerland, the issue reaches beyond individual employers. Railways and local public transport connect workplaces, schools and communities, and their employees are often the first point of contact when passengers face delays, ticket disputes or other frustrations. A threat or assault can affect the worker involved and disrupt the operation around them.

The protests held at railway stations on September 2 were designed to make that working reality visible to passengers and politicians. SEV says the problem remains at a high level despite attention since the pandemic. SBB’s reported daily total provides a clear warning, while the absence of complete national data limits the picture.

Parliament now faces a practical set of questions: how incidents should be counted, which employers must report them, how staff can work in pairs and what support follows an attack. The answers will shape safety policy across Switzerland’s transport network.