ETF - European Transport Workers' Federation

05/06/2026

Our Belgian affiliates UBT FGTB, CSC-Transcom and SETCa are standing up for 440 workers at H&M Logistics in Ghlin, and ETF stands with them. 💪

When companies close sites, unions must be part of the process to negotiate possible solutions and, if needed, mitigate the consequences on workers. But has refused to engage, bypassed social dialogue, and imposed a lockout on workers who have given years of service to the company.

This is unacceptable. Workers deserve respect, fair treatment, and a real plan for their future.

H&M: It is time to sit at the table.

More info in the comments!

04/06/2026

🤝 ETF was proud to bring a message of solidarity to the 9th Congress of Odborový zväz KOVO, held in Bratislava on 4-5 June.

OZ KOVO is one of ETF's most active affiliates in Central and Eastern Europe, and their Congress was a reminder of why solidarity matters more than ever.

As President Monika Benedekova put it in her opening address: today, the future of our workers and industries is decided in Brussels. And in an increasingly divided society, solidarity remains our strongest answer.

OZ KOVO has been a consistent and committed partner over the years. From hosting ETF's annual road section meeting, to meeting the European Commission and the Slovak Transport Minister to tackle working time abuses affecting Slovak bus drivers, to their upcoming action on 21 June visiting parking areas to raise awareness on driver fatigue and its impact on safety.

Congratulations to OZ KOVO on their 9th Congress. Here's to many more years of joint work!

04/06/2026

🚂 Rail freight in Europe is in crisis.

Decades of underinvestment, insufficient public support and the damaging effects of liberalisation have pushed the sector into a crisis that is impossible to ignore.

Meeting in Tbilisi 🇬🇪, the ETF Railways Section unanimously adopted a statement with 7 measures to turn the tide, ahead of next week's EU Transport Council:

- Recognise rail freight as a public service
✅ Secure long-term public investment in infrastructure
✅ Protect the single-wagon-load system
✅ Foster cooperation between rail operators across Europe
✅ Improve working conditions and tackle labour shortages
✅ Create a level playing field across all transport modes
✅ Guarantee job security for workers during restructuring

👉 Read the full statement: https://www.etf-europe.org/etf-railways-section-proposes-7-measures-to-reverse-the-agony-of-the-rail-freight-sector-in-europe/

03/06/2026

Simplification cannot come at the expense of workers.

The European Commission is preparing a road transport simplification package, and ETF's message is clear: reducing administrative burdens must not mean weakening social protections, workers' rights or working conditions.

Real simplification means smarter enforcement, fair competition and equal treatment across the sector. It does not mean deregulation.

ETF is calling on the Commission to:
✅ Maintain all current EU legal requirements for road transport
✅ Mandate the use of digital documents for enforcement of social and market rules
✅ Digitalise the journey form for occasional passenger transport
✅ Maintain timesheets
✅ Ban cash wage payments
✅ Ensure Remote Tachograph Monitoring complements — not replaces — roadside checks
✅ Create a sector-specific remuneration tool in road transport

We also expect the upcoming ELA mandate revision to strengthen cross-border enforcement and tackle posting abuses, unpaid wages and social dumping head-on.

03/06/2026

✊ Solidarity with workers in Portugal today!

The ETF stands in full solidarity with CGTP IN and all workers taking part in today's general strike in Portugal 🇵🇹

Our affiliate SITAVA, Sindicato dos Trabalhadores da Aviação e Aeroportos, is on the frontlines, alongside transport workers across the aviation and airports sector, standing up against a labour package that represents the biggest attack on workers' rights since the 25th of April.

The proposed reforms would allow CBAs to expire after just 4 years, enable employers to unilaterally impose individual working time accounts of up to 50 hours a week without extra pay, open the door to dismissals without just cause, restrict trade union activity, and strip parents and workers with disabilities of their right to flexible working hours. Young workers face longer precarious contracts, and subcontracted workers would lose the protections they have today.

This is not modernisation. This is a step back towards the 19th century.

Workers across Portugal are right to say enough. The ETF stands with them.

27/05/2026

A dangerous new loophole is threatening Europe’s workers.

The European Commission’s ‘EU Inc’ proposal (the 28th company regime) would allow companies to register in countries with lower social standards, leaving workers vulnerable to a major race to the bottom.

For transport workers, who already battle letterbox companies and social dumping every day, this is a major red line.

ETF stands firmly with the ETUC in demanding that EU Ministers halt this proposal until binding safeguards are introduced. Workers’ rights, national labor laws, and collective agreements must be fully respected.

Read the full press release from ETUC :

Safeguards are needed to prevent workers’ rights across Europe being undermined by European Commission plans to allow companies to register in countries with lower standards. Trade unions state that the proposal must not be allowed to proceed in its current form.Under the ‘EU Inc’ proposal lau...

27/05/2026

📢 A major new report released on 27 May, "Charting the Distinct Rights of Sea Workers in European Waters: A Focus on Decent Working Time”, shines a spotlight on the persistent inequalities still faced by sea workers across Europe.

Despite the essential role they play in keeping Europe’s maritime sector moving, sea workers continue to work under conditions that would be unacceptable in most land-based sectors - including other transport industries.

The report highlights the serious consequences of excessive working hours, insufficient rest and disrupted sleep patterns. These factors directly affect concentration, decision-making and situational awareness, increasing the risk of human error and creating wider safety implications for crews, vessels, cargo, passengers and the marine environment.

At the same time, growing evidence links long hours, fatigue and poor sleep to significant health risks, including cardiovascular diseases and other long-term impacts on workers’ wellbeing.

This report marks an important contribution to the debate on decent working time, stronger labour protections and equal treatment for sea workers in European waters.

🔗 More information, as well as the full report and executive summary, are available here: https://www.etf-europe.org/landmark-report-reveals-labour-social-rights-gap-for-sea-workers-in-europe/

26/05/2026

We are deeply saddened by the tragic collision between a train and a school bus in Buggenhout (Belgium) today.

We mourn the victims who have lost their lives and send our deepest thoughts and strength to the families of the injured during these incredibly painful moments.

While the full circumstances are being investigated, we want to send a clear message: transport safety must always be given the highest priority. Every passenger and every transport worker deserves to arrive home safely.

More info: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/05/26/train-hits-school-bus-in-belgium-several-victims-reported-minister-says

26/05/2026

📣 We’re hiring!

Do you have a passion for strategic communications, campaigns, media relations and digital engagement? Join our team at the European Transport Workers' Federation as Communications Manager and help amplify the voice of transport workers across Europe. 🌍🚆✈️🚢

📍 Based in Brussels
💼 Full-time position
📢 Work on impactful campaigns in a dynamic European environment

Job description and details: https://www.etf-europe.org/job-vacancy-at-the-etf-communications-manager/