News July 9, 2026 ELA report confirms urgent need for stronger social enforcement in aviation Yesterday the European Labour Authority (ELA) presented its long-awaited report on the enforcement of labour mobility and social security coordination rules for aircrew members. The launch event brought together representatives of the European Commission, national enforcement authorities, employers and trade unions to discuss the practical challenges of enforcing aircrew rights in one of Europe’s most cross-border sectors.
News July 9, 2026 Joint press release: European social partners call for an EU directive to implement the STCW-F convention The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), Europêche, and Copa-Cogeca have issued a joint position paper calling on the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council to support the integration of the revised International Maritime Organization (IMO) STCW-F Convention into European Union law through a dedicated EU directive.
News July 8, 2026 The Netherlands showing Europe the way: quality and reliable ground handling are incompatible with relentless competition ETF welcomes the Dutch government’s decision to award new ground handling concessions at Schiphol Airport to only three operators. By reducing the number of competing providers, Dutch authorities have chosen a model that prioritises operational stability, service quality and decent employment over relentless price competition. Unfortunately, the government failed to lay down agreements regarding self-handling, which would have made the reform even more positive.
News July 8, 2026 How do we make Europe’s fishing sector safer, fairer, and more attractive for the next generation? More than 70% of the seafood consumed in the EU is imported, while the European fishing sector is struggling to attract the next generation of workers. Addressing that challenge was at the heart of yesterday’s second Steering Committee meeting of the joint ETF-Europeche project Pillars of the Sea 4 in Rome.
News July 3, 2026 ETF meets with EASA Executive Director to discuss aviation safety priorities from workers’ perspective The leadership of the ETF Civil Aviation Section and the Secretariat recently met with the Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Florian Guillermet and his senior management team for the annual high-level meeting to discuss the key aviation safety challenges affecting transport workers across Europe.
Vacancies July 3, 2026 Vacancy at the ETF – Communications Manager 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, ports & docks, tourism and fisheries. We are currently seeking to recruit a Communications Manager.
News July 2, 2026 EU Inc.: Simplification shouldn’t come at the expense of accountability and workers’ rights With its latest proposal, the European Union has been making efforts to ease burdens on businesses to innovate, grow and operate across borders. This includes simplifying administrative processes. The ETF is not against simplifying cross-border business and supports the ambition to support genuine start-ups and innovative companies to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness. But simplification becomes an issue when it comes at the expense of accountability, workers’ rights and effective enforcement.
News July 2, 2026 ETF railway affiliates visit DAC testing facility in Berlin On 16 June, ETF railway affiliates visited the Train Testing Lab in Berlin at the invitation of FP5-FDFTO to learn more about the development and deployment of the Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC). During the visit, participants observed live demonstrations of DAC testing and received updates on preparations for its installation on pioneer trains and the wider rollout of the technology across the rail freight sector.
News Interview: Gerhard Tauchner elected new Chair of ETF Railways section The ETF Railways Section just elected its new Chair, Gerhard Tauchner, to replace Giorgio Tuti, who has been elected as ETF President. In a powerful moment, trade union members thanked the previous Chair for his important work and elected new leadership to defend the future of railway workers at the European level. We decided to interview the new Chair to understand his priorities for the following years.
Statement ETF calls for strong worker protections as Commission launches new Military Mobility initiative A first read of the Commission’s Communication shows that it fails to mention workers even once. It also ignores the persistent problem of labour shortages and how to address them, as well as the well-known deterioration in working conditions in the sector. Disregarding such fundamental issues is a serious threat to the success of this proposal for military mobility. If we can’t attract workers in times of peace, how can we expect to do so in times of war?
News ETF Survey on Violence and Harassment Against Women Transport Workers To better understand the violent realities women transport workers face and to push for real change, the ETF Women’s Committee has launched a new survey: “Violence and harassment against women transport workers.” The aim is to collect testimonies directly from women working in all areas of the transport sector. Fill it in! It’s quick and available in 9 languages!
News Giorgio Tuti Elected New ETF President Belgian trade union leader Frank Moreels stepped down from his function of ETF President, in view of his upcoming role as President of the ITF. A Swiss national, Giorgio Tuti has been a high-profile unionist in the trade union movement since 1988. He served as President of the Swiss Transport Workers’ Union (SEV) for 14 years, from 2009 to 2023 and has been Vice-Chair of the Swiss Trade Union Confederation since 2009. Tuti has been chairing the ETF Railways Section since 2017.