Paul Nowak, General Secretary of the TUC, has warned that even in 2026 too many workplaces still have cultures and systems that allow abuse to flourish and fail women when they report it. His comments come after Russell Brand was sentenced to more than ten years in prison for rape and sexual assault, and following allegations that David Walliams, who denies wrongdoing, used his fame and power to prey on teenage girls and young women for sex.
Headlines raise wider questions
Nowak said the two cases are different but that thoughts are with those who came forward and with all survivors of sexual violence, including those who may never feel able to speak publicly about what happened to them. He argued the headlines have shone a spotlight on individual men but should also force a wider question: what was known, what was suspected, and why were warning signs ignored for so long?
He noted that even people who say they knew nothing of Brand's crimes have described his behaviour towards women as an "open secret". In 2004 Jonathan Ross joked about Walliams "going home with a 15-year-old" in front of a packed audience at the British Comedy Awards. Nowak said those details matter because sexual predators rarely operate in complete secrecy, and too often there are rumours, concerns, warning signs and witnesses, while people look the other way.
Workplace culture at the heart
Writing as TUC General Secretary, Nowak said the trade union movement has its own responsibility to confront these issues and a duty to tackle sexism where it exists and help make workplaces safer for everyone. He said workplace culture is at the heart of many of these stories.
He stated that half of women say they have experienced sexual harassment at work, with risks even higher for Black women, disabled women, younger women and LGBT+ women. In most cases the perpetrator is a male colleague, and nearly one in five women say the harassment came from their direct manager or another person with power over them.
New legal duty on employers
Nowak highlighted new workplace protections introduced by the government last month, under which employers have a legal duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, including harassment by customers, clients and other third parties. He described this as a significant shift, adding that the burden should never have been on women to protect themselves and that responsibility belongs to employers.
He said passing a law is only the start, and that the government has promised to set out clearly what employers must do to meet their new responsibilities. Ministers now need to get on with it so every employer understands exactly what is expected of them.
Nowak said sexual predators exist in television studios, offices, warehouses, hospitals, shops and the trade union movement, and thrive in cultures where complaints are dismissed, rumours are ignored and too many people stay silent. He concluded that silence protects perpetrators, while speaking up protects women, and that now is the time to make sure the two are never confused again.
