ETF - European Transport Workers' Federation

19/08/2026

A recent Swedish illegal cabotage case shows why we need EU legislation on subcontracting

A roadside check in Sweden exposed a subcontracting chain stretching from the major logistics operator Kuehne+Nagel to a Latvian carrier. After documentation discrepancies led to a 60,000 Swedish kronor, the driver was dismissed by the company and left to face the consequences alone.

This is only one case among many. Complex subcontracting chains too often blur accountability and leave workers paying the price. This is exactly why Europe needs stronger rules on subcontracting.

As the European Commission advances work on the Quality Jobs Act, ETF continues to push for:
• Limits on subcontracting chains two maximum two levels
• Full transparency and joint liability throughout the chain
• Regulation of intermediaries
• Stronger enforcement of existing rules

Workers must not be left at the bottom of the chain when things go wrong.

Read more about the Swedish case below 👇

Swedish check exposes subcontracting risks

18/08/2026

🇩🇪 Solidarity with striking dockers in Germany! ✊

The ETF stands in full solidarity with ver.di and the thousands of dockers taking warning strike action across Germany’s major seaports in their fight for a fair collective agreement.

Germany’s ports are key hubs for European trade and supply chains – but they only work because dockers make them work.

As the sector faces major changes from automation, digitalisation, decarbonisation and shifting global supply chains, workers cannot be expected to bear the costs of this transformation.

⚓ Good working conditions
✊ Strong collective agreements
📢 Full respect for trade union and strike rights

The ETF and its affiliates across Europe stand united behind ver.di and German dockers.

Your fight is our fight. Dockers across Europe stand with you!

ver.di ruft die Beschäftigten im Hamburger Hafen am 17. und 18. August 2026 zu einem 24-stündigen Warnstreik auf. Die Hafenbeschäftigten fordern 8,2 Prozent mehr Lohn, mindestens 2,50 Euro mehr pro Stunde, und erhöhen damit den Druck auf die Arbeitgeber für ein deutlich verbessertes Tarifangebo...

14/08/2026

🌍 Connecting transport workers from Central Asia to Europe

This week, the ETF joined the transport unions from Central Asia and other regions in Astana (Kazakhstan) for a strategic meeting organized by the ITF - International Transport Workers' Federation and hosted by Қазтеміржолкәсіп Қоғамдық Бірлестігі (KAZPROFZHEL). We focused on the labour issues tied to the fast-growing Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR or "Middle Corridor"), which links Asia and Europe. For the ETF, our involvement in these discussions is straightforward: the corridor extends into Europe.

Railways, ports, logistics centers, and roads now being built across Central Asia are becoming part of supply chains that reach deep into the European transport network. Workers along these routes share a common interest in ensuring that increased investment and higher freight volumes also translate into quality jobs, robust trade unions, and safe working conditions. This goal connects directly to our Congress priority to reinforce the ETF as an industrial and organizing force, including through a stronger focus on our company policy.

Many of the major logistics multinationals and clients using these corridors are also significant players in Europe, so closer cooperation between unions along the entire supply chain is becoming more important. But this is not simply about Europe sharing its experience with Central Asia. We can offer what we have learned from years of European cross-border cooperation, but there is just as much for us to learn from the experience of unions in Central Asia.

By linking our unions and exchanging knowledge, we can make workers' voices stronger along the entire corridor, from Central Asia into Europe.

You can read more about the meeting and the new Central Asia trade union network from the ITF here: https://www.itfglobal.org/en/news/transport-trade-unions-join-forces-build-solidarity-across-central-asia

12/08/2026

🌍 This International Youth Day, we take a step back and ask: What advice would you give your younger self?

Members of the ETF Youth Committee spoke to union leaders across the ETF family to gather pieces of wisdom that they have collected since their time as young trade unionists – and some reflections on the successes or lessons that have stayed with them.

Making space for our next generation of union leaders also means creating these vital opportunities to learn and share experiences across generations.

Young trade unionists are not only the future, but the present!

06/08/2026

🌡️ Extreme heat is also a workplace issue.

As the summer 2026 is set to be one of the warmest Europe has ever faced, transport workers are increasingly exposed to an occupational risk. On roads, rail, in ports, airports, warehouses, depots or at sea, heat affects not only safety and continuity of operations but also the very health and safety of workers.

In our latest article, we explore the exposure factors and impacts of heat on transport workers and outline practical recommendations for trade unions, employers and policymakers to better protect the people who keep our transport systems running. Read more:

As part of the European continent undergoes its fourth heatwave of 2026, it has become abundantly clear that occupational heat exposure is no longer an exceptional or occasional summer hazard. It is an emergent occupational hazard only destined to escalate. Europe is the second fastest-warming regio...

05/08/2026

The proposed EU (EU Inc.) is not just another company law reform. For transport workers, it could make it even easier for companies to hide behind complex cross-border structures, making it harder to enforce labour rights, identify the real employer, and hold companies accountable.

Need to still get an understanding of what is at stake with the EU and its crashing impact on workers’ rights? Listen to the podcast featuring senior ETUI researches Sara Lafuente and Marcus Meyer-Erdmann.

And keep following us: trade unions will be mobilising on this!

Why are up in arms over the European Commission's proposal for a 'single harmonised set of corporate rules' across Europe, otherwise known as the ❓️

🎙️ Marcus Meyer-Erdmann and Sara Lafuente explain what's at stake for workers' rights in a new episode of etui.podcast, 'Voices on the world of work'

Listen here or on the major audio streaming services 🔗 etui.org/4fS

03/08/2026

British public transport unions raise alarm over lack of toilets

As Europe is battered by heatwaves, British ETF affiliates are raising urgent concerns about the lack of access to toilets for bus and train drivers. While this problem is not new, extreme temperatures are making the situation even more dangerous. Some unions are now considering industrial action to force employers to act

A lack of toilet access is not merely an inconvenience, it is a serious occupational health risk, with increased likelihood of kidney problems and long-term bladder issues. Drivers are often forced to deliberately drink less water and skip eating to avoid having to go to the toilet. This, coupled with long shifts inadequate ventilation in vehicle cabins during blazing heat, is the perfect recipe for severe dehydration.

The solutions are clear:
🚾Guaranteed access to clean and safe toilet facilities
📅Adequate break times built into schedules
☀️Heatwave-specific protections, including hydration policies
⚖️Clear legal obligations for all operators to provide facilities to their workers

Read more here: https://www.etf-europe.org/uk-public-transport-unions-sound-the-alarm-over-lack-of-toilet-access-for-drivers/

Unite the union ASLEF - The UK Train Drivers' Union National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT)

Public transport unions in the United Kingdom are raising urgent concerns about the lack of access to toilet facilities for bus and train drivers, a problem that has persisted for years but is now reaching a breaking point. Reports from across the UK show drivers being forced to work entire shifts w...

31/07/2026

📢 Are you graduated in administration field or office management and looking for hands-on experience in a European organisation ? Then don't look further !

We offer:
📆 A full-time trainee position from October to December 2026
📍 In our office in Brussels, with up to 2 days teleworking/week after a 1-month training period
💶 Compensation under a Belgian professional immersion contract + benefits such as meal vouchers + public transport subscription

More information:

The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) is a pan-European trade union federation representing more than 5 million transport workers from more than 200 transport unions in 38 European countries in railways, road transport and logistics, maritime transport, inland waterways, civil aviation,...

31/07/2026

Unruly passengers are more than just summer headlines. They threaten safety, disrupt flights and expose aviation workers to violence and harassment. It's time for a coordinated European response. ✈️

Summer may be synonymous with relaxation for holidaymakers and every summer seems to produce its share of eye-catching headlines. Just days ago, The Guardian reported on a drunk British holidaymaker who tried to kiss a flight attendant on a plane and was arrested on his way back through Palma airpor...

27/07/2026

Violence should never be part of the job ! 🙅‍♀️

You want to learn more about the key findings of ETF's survey and how to stop violence and harassment against women transport workers ?

Then join our webinar !

📆 4 September
🕚 11:15 - 12:45 CET

➡️ Register : https://bit.ly/4VNKTF4
📝 Read our survey : https://lnkd.in/eAzPEYwP