ETF - European Transport Workers' Federation

26/09/2026

The ETF stands with the DGB and our German members ver.di and EVG , taking part in today’s nationwide day of action.

Under the banner “Hart verdient! Deine Arbeit. Deine Gesundheit. Deine Rente.” – “You’ve earned it! Your work. Your health. Your pension.”, workers are mobilising for secure jobs, good working conditions, decent pensions, strong social protection and workers’ rights.

These demands resonate far beyond Germany. At a time when workers and their rights are increasingly coming under pressure, we need strong trade unions and strong social protection across Europe.

Full solidarity from the ETF and transport workers across Europe! ✊

25/09/2026

2026 showed one thing clearly: workers’ voices matter. ETF cut through the tech buzz to remind everyone that innovation only works when it makes rail jobs safer and fairer. 🚄 💪

👍 We pushed for smarter tools that protect mobile workers, including an EU‑wide working-, driving- and rest-time monitoring system that could finally bring transparency and prevent fatigue 🚆🕛.

👍 We met trade union friends from across Europe and connected with new partners who want to build the future of rail with workers at the table.

A productive week that confirmed one thing: workers’ expertise is essential for shaping the future of rail.

Read more here https://www.etf-europe.org/news/etf-innotrans-2026-workers-voices-heart-rail-innovation

25/09/2026

Four things we articulated at a lunch discussion on military mobility organized by the EESC - European Economic and Social Committee earlier this week:

👷‍♂️👷‍♀️ Military mobility is a workers’ issue

⚠️ Military transport carries safety risks for workers: high-standards of training and risks prevention are necessary

❗ Extraordinary regimes should be activated only when absolutely necessary

💬 Rules applicable under emergencies must be negotiated in advance with social partners

24/09/2026

Today, transport workers and trade unions from across Europe gathered in Brussels to oppose the proposed 28th Regime/EU Inc. ⛔ ❌

While presented as a way to simplify cross-border business operations, the 28th Regime risks creating a parallel corporate framework that could weaken existing labour standards, collective bargaining systems, and workers' participation rights.

For transport workers, whose employers often operate across multiple countries and complex supply chains, strong transnational information, consultation and worker involvement rights are more important than ever. Competitiveness cannot be achieved by circumventing national labour laws or social dialogue structures.

Europe needs innovation, investment and quality jobs, but these must go hand in hand with workers' rights, collective bargaining and democracy at work !

Today we stand together in Brussels to send a clear message: a competitive Europe must also be a social Europe ! 🇪🇺

ETUC EFFAT European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions EFBWW European Public Service Unions (EPSU) IndustriAll Europe FGTB ABVV ACV CSC Synova Transport & Logistiek BTB ABVV FNV Transport & Logistiek CCOO Comisiones Obreras EVG Filt Cgil Nazionale USLM

23/09/2026

Strong cooperation with the European Labour Authority helps bring the voices of drivers closer to policymakers and enforcement authorities. During a recent Belgian roadshow in Jabbeke, ETF together with BTB ABVV and ACV-Transcom spoke directly with drivers about their working conditions, secure parking and new tachograph requirements for LGVs. Together, we continue pushing for fair transport and decent work across Europe.

Read more here https://www.etf-europe.org/news/etf-invited-ela-roadshow-in-belgium

22/09/2026

Violence is not part of the job!

This European Mobility Week, ETF held a webinar presenting new best practices on combatting third-party violence in public transport. 🚌🚋🚇

Every day, urban public transport workers face threats, harassment, and physical violence from passengers, just for doing their job. This must stop! 🛑

The webinar saw the presentation of a joint ETF-ITF report on violence in public transport, new data from a survey of women workers, and experiences from ETF affiliates across Europe.

Employers and governments must act! Read more here: https://www.etf-europe.org/news/public-transport-unions-raise-alarm-over-violence-and-aggression

21/09/2026

Today, the ETF made workers’ voices heard on the European Train to InnoTrans.

As Europe is facing social, environmental and industrial challenges, the ETF highlighted:

👎 The lack of job attractiveness in the railway sector due to deteriorating working conditions and increasing violence against staff

🫵 The urgent need to recognise rail freight as a public service to limit its decline and to fully tap into its environmental benefits

👍The need to involve trade unions in the debate on new technologies

If Europe wants to build a sustainable rail network, the railway workers need to be on board!

18/09/2026

⚓ Congratulations to our Greek affiliate, the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (Πανελλήνια Ναυτική Ομοσπονδία – PNO), and our Cypriot affiliate, the Federation of Transport, Petroleum and Agriculture Workers (Ομοσπονδία Μεταφορών, Πετρελαιοειδών και Γεωργίας – OMEPEGE/FTPAW-SEK), for bringing together the maritime community at an international symposium marking 20 years since the adoption of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006).

Speaking at the symposium, ETF General Secretary Livia Spera stressed that the MLC has brought important improvements to seafarers’ rights – but it remains a minimum standard, and uneven implementation and enforcement by flag and port States continue to undermine a genuine level playing field.

And the evidence shows why we need to go further. The new ETF–ITF commissioned World Maritime University study reveals a striking gap between protections for workers at sea and ashore. Maritime rules still allow working weeks of up to 91 hours, while research analysed in the study found seafarers working an average of almost 75 hours a week. Excessive working time and fatigue are not only labour issues – they are fundamental questions of maritime safety.

This is also where the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) can make a difference. ETF is calling for stronger and more standardised training of Port State Control inspectors, including more effective inspections of MLC requirements, working and rest hours, unpaid wages and other serious deficiencies.

Europe’s maritime competitiveness cannot be built on lower labour standards or cheaper labour. It must be built on highly qualified seafarers, quality jobs, strong social standards and fair competition.

That is why ETF is pushing for a European Maritime Space for Socially Sustainable Shipping: if shipping companies benefit from access to the EU Single Market and European public support, the workers who keep those ships moving should also benefit from European social standards.

Fair shipping means fair conditions – wherever a ship is flagged. ⚓

18/09/2026

Road transport unions from across Europe gathered in Liverpool this week for an ETF conference on subcontracting hosted by our affiliate Unite the Union. The participants exchanged experiences and discussed how to tackle unfair subcontracting practices that undermine workers' rights, fair competition and accountability in the sector.

Together, we are pushing for stronger rules at both an EU and national level, by limiting subcontracting chains, increasing accountability and transparency across the supply chain, regulating intermediaries and strengthening the enforcement of existing rules. We now hope the upcoming Quality Jobs Act will take an important step towards delivering quality jobs and fair competition across Europe.

17/09/2026

ETF will join the rally next week on 24 September at 10:00 outside the European Council.

The proposed EU Inc./28th Regime represents a profound threat to workers' rights, employment standards, collective bargaining and workers' board-level representation across Europe. It would create a parallel corporate law framework that could allow companies to opt out of national labour law systems, collective bargaining structures, and workers' information, consultation and board-level representation rights.

This rally is an important opportunity for the European trade union movement to stand together and demand strong safeguards for workers' rights, quality jobs, stronger collective bargaining, and a social Europe that puts working people first ✊

📢 Will you join us ?? We count on you !

ETUC FGTB ABVV ACV CSC Synova - syndicat libre BTB ABVV CSC-Transcom ACV-Transcom Synova Transport & Logistiek Cgsp Cheminots - Régionale de Bruxelles ACV Openbare Diensten ACV Puls Vakbond BBTK Centrale Nationale des Employés

Thousands of workers will demonstrate in Brussels later this month over the ‘EU Inc’ law which risks undercutting national labour rights and starting a race to the bottom across Europe. Trade unions are calling for real solutions to the problems faced by working people through a strong Quality J...