Railway Worker in the UK Died of COVID-19 After Being Spat On

A railway ticket office worker in the UK has died from COVID-19 after she was spat on while working at Victoria station in central London. The victim, Belly Mujinga, was working with a colleague when they were assaulted, spat on and coughed at by a man who is said to have coronavirus, according to the Transport Salaried Staffs Association or TSSA.

Neglected by the management?

The 47-year-old victim had an underlying health condition and she was working for Govia Thameslink Railway or GTR on the station concourse at the time of the incident on March 22. The British Transport Police said in a statement that an investigation into the incident had been launched.

TSSA said in a statement that Belly and her colleague begged to be let to work from inside the building with a protective barrier between them and the public for the rest of the day. However, the management said that people were needed to work outside and the management sent them back out onto the concourse for the rest of their shift.

Since it was ordered by the management, both women went back outside and completed their shift, but they were not given any personal protective equipment. According to TSSA, Mujinga had underlying respiratory problems and she already had an operation because of it. She even took some time off work because of her regular hospital appointments.

The union says that GTR knew about her conditions and that they only stood Mujinga down after her doctor called her work around March 25. The TSSA general secretary, Manuel Cortes, accused GTR of not taking Mujinga's assault seriously and he criticized the company.

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Investigations needed

Cortes said in a statement that Mujinga is under the at risk category and her condition was already known to her employer, yet GTR did not stand her down from front line duties and no protective gear were given. Cortes wants to investigate further because Mujinga's death was not inevitable. According to GTR, they are investigating the accusations and that they take allegations seriously.

Angie Doll, the managing director at Southern Railway and Gatwick Express, said that the safety of their customers and staff is at the front of their mind at all times and that they follow the latest Government advice. She added that they are devastated that their dedicated colleague Belly has passed away and they offered their deepest sympathies with the victim's family.

According to TSSA, both Mujinga and her colleague fell ill from coronavirus within days of the assault. Just 11 days after the incident, Mujinga was taken to Barnet Hospital in North London and she was put on a ventilator. On April 5, just 15 days after she was assaulted at Victoria station, Belly passed away.

Mujinga has an 11-year-old daughter and a husband, who last saw her when she was taken to the hospital. Cortes added in the TSSA statement that they are shocked and devastated at Belly's death and the union said that they are taking legal advice on the situation and they are supporting Mujinga's family and colleagues.