It’s a Bloody Mess - Dismantling barriers in basic workplace hygiene & dignity affecting women working in the transport m sector

Today the NSW Upper House passed a Greens motion calling out the appalling toilet and hygiene standards and conditions affecting women working in the transport sector.

Abigail moved:

1. That this House notes that:

a. the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU)’s recently released “It’s a Bloody Mess” report shines a light on the systemic failures in basic workplace hygiene and dignity affecting women working in the bus, rail and tram sector;

b. the RTBU surveyed 821 women transport workers across the country, and found that:

i. nearly three in four or 73 percent of women transport workers have suffered health issues due to inadequate facilities, including dehydration as a result of limited fluid intake (46 percent), stress or anxiety about access (46 percent), urinary tract infections (28 percent), digestive issues (15 percent), skin irritation (13 percent), menstrual health complications (13 percent), kidney problems (4 percent) and other infections (7percent);

ii. 83 percent of respondents reported that they have resorted to dangerous or undignified coping strategies such as deliberately dehydrating, delaying bathroom breaks or using inappropriate locations’;

iii. 44 percent of respondents do not have access to sanitary bins when needed, and some report being forced to empty them themselves; and

iv. 82 percent of respondents reported that the lack of adequate facilities compromises their dignity and respect as workers;

c. RTBU National Vice President (Women) Leanne Holmes has said that the report exposes appalling standards across the country and demanded urgent action from employers and governments, saying “this is more than just a workplace issue, it's a national health and safety crisis”;

d. the report includes firsthand accounts from women transport workers, including reports of being forced to justify toilet breaks over public radio, bleeding through clothes while on their period, wetting themselves at work because they couldn't access a toilet, carrying used period products in their pockets or bags during shifts, taking contraception to skip periods due to lack of sanitary facilities, and even some women being hospitalised with kidney infections and recurring UTIs simply because they can't access a clean toilet;

e. the RTBU is calling for urgent reform including a mandatory national standard for transport workers which includes guaranteed access to dedicated women’s toilet facilities, proper sanitary disposal units serviced regularly by contractors, regular cleaning and maintenance and freedom for workers to take toilet breaks when needed, without interference or humiliation;

f. the RTBU National Women’s Campaign Committee is calling on all transport sector employers to implement the recommendations set out in this report without delay, as the first steps to addressing the urgent concerns raised by women transport workers. Beyond these immediate measures, a national standard for clean, safe and accessible toilets and sanitary facilities across the transport sector must be agreed and enforced;

g. Safe Work Australia’s Code of Practice states that “access to safe and clean toilets must be provided for all workers while they are at work”; and

h. preventing or denying a worker the right to use a toilet at work is a breach of an employer’s duty of care to provide a safe and healthy workplace, which includes providing and allowing access to adequate facilities and amenities, and is also a breach of an individual’s basic rights to health and dignity.

2. That this House:

a. affirms that all workers deserve the right to clean, safe and accessible toilets while at work;

b. commends the RTBU and its members for their “It’s a Bloody Mess” report; and

c. calls on the NSW government to take immediate action to eliminate barriers to toilet access, including by recognising that access to sanitation is a human right and enforcing requirements for mandatory accessible, available, suitable and sanitary women’s amenities in all workplaces and worksites across NSW.

Motion agreed to.

27 November 2025

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It’s a Bloody Mess - Dismantling barriers in basic workplace hygiene & dignity affecting women working in the transport m sector

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

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