Network Rail’s diversity and inclusion strategy, Everyone Matters, describes our ambitions to be a more open, diverse and inclusive organisation. Our Race Matters project is one part of our strategy and aims to remove barriers that we know black, Asian and minority ethnic employees and candidates face at Network Rail. As part of this project, working with our Safety Culture team, we are now running a Stand Up for Race Equality event, where all Network Rail employees will participate in a briefing on the links between safety and inclusion. The Stand Up for Race Equality is running from 24 May to 31 December 2021, and we’re inviting all our industry partners to join us.
Background:
Last year separate investigations into two accidents on the railway, found that racist behaviours and racial tensions were contributory factors. And an employment tribunal ruled that we failed to investigate allegations of racism. The Stand Up is part of our response to the recommendations from those investigations, and it represents our ambition to be a safer, more diverse and inclusive organisation.
This Stand Up is a first for Network Rail and the industry. It has been designed to be impactful, and is a moment when we will be asking all our colleagues to stop what they are doing and focus on the behaviours that we need in our business to improve safety and to make sure everyone is valued and treated with respect.
The Stand Up briefings can be held virtually as well as face-to-face, and have been designed to be led by line managers. The briefing takes around 1 hour and involves watching a minimum of 3 short films, and then discussing the content of the films as a group/team. We have developed training materials to support line managers/facilitators to deliver the briefings.
Download the Stand Up for Race Equality materials:
As an industry leader, we are sharing the briefing materials for the Stand Up to Race Equality, because we want conversations that recognise the link between safety, inclusion and respect to continue across the industry, amongst our supply chain, our stakeholders and other organisations. Please do use the materials and join us in Standing Up for Race Equality and a safer more inclusive railway. The materials and instructions on how to use them are available to the right.
