News February 5, 2026 Court of Auditors: EU Must Do More to Support Urban Mobility Yesterday, March 4th 2026, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) published its special report on the effectiveness of the EU’s urban mobility policy. With over 75% of the EU population living in cities and urban transport making up an eighth the EU’s total CO2 emissions, the report clearly recognises the need for a comprehensive European strategy to organise and improve mobility in urban areas. The Court of Auditors also sets out the significant costs of inaction, noting that congestion alone from private cars costs around €180 billion a year.
Statement February 5, 2026 Aviation Social Partners call for the immediate suspension of the EU–Qatar Agreement ETF, together with the European Network Airlines’ Association (ENAA) and the European Cockpit Association (ECA), has issued a joint statement calling for the immediate suspension and reassessment of the EU–Qatar Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement.
News February 3, 2026 Regulating subcontracting is key to tackling undeclared work in parcel delivery, new study finds The research reveals that major logistics companies, e-retailers, and postal operators routinely outsource delivery operations to networks of subcontractors, creating chains that obscure accountability and foster non-compliant labour practices. In some European countries, subcontracting has reached saturation: Germany outsources 50% of transport services, while in Poland the figure approaches 100%.
News February 2, 2026 European Transport Workers stand in solidarity with german Public Transport strike The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) has declared its full solidarity with ver.di (United Services Trade Union, Germany) members who are striking nationwide today across Germany’s municipal public transport companies. The action affects nearly 100,000 employees in 150 transport companies and highlights a growing crisis in the sector.
News January 26, 2026 Protecting Seafarers and Fishers to Strengthen Safety: A Core Principle for Europe’s Maritime Future On 8 December 2025, the second edition of the European Maritime Safety Report – #EMSAFE was presented in EMSA’s: ‘Safety First’ conference at the Agency’s headquarters in Lisbon. EMSAFE 2 consolidates data from all EMSA-hosted databases, offering a comprehensive overview of the state of maritime safety in the European Union. Its strong focus on the human dimension of safety makes it particularly relevant.
News January 26, 2026 ETF Sends Letter to European Commissioner on Fisheries Control Regulation The European Transport Workers’ Federation has sent a formal letter to the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans raising urgent concerns about the implementation of the new Fisheries Control Regulation (EU) 2023/2842.
News January 23, 2026 Denmark sets record union coverage in road transport The Danish case demonstrates that high union coverage and fair competition can be restored through a combination of strong local organising and robust European regulation. While national contexts vary across the EU, Denmark’s success highlights the practical value of the Mobility Package when combined with strong implementation efforts to bring companies into the scope of collective bargaining.
News January 23, 2026 It’s time to get serious about cabin crew fatigue Fatigue among cabin crew is no longer a hidden issue. It is a widespread, systemic problem that is undermining safety, damaging health, and eroding the sustainability of aviation jobs. A new global survey of 114 cabin crew union representatives from 45 airlines, conducted by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), makes it clear: fatigue is a daily reality for cabin crew, and airlines are not taking it seriously enough.
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.