The ETF calls on the UK Government, the European Commission and national governments to come up with clear guarantees for truck drivers to return from the UK, and seafarers to be able to take part in crew changes.

Union responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and a strong recovery that puts social first were at the heart of discussions when ETF affiliates came together online last week.

The ETUC and ETUFs handed over a petition for more democracy at work to the European Commissioner Nicolas Schmit and MEPs, calling for concrete and rapid actions to guarantee the effective enforcement and compliance of workers’ rights to be informed, consulted and to participate in decision-making before any decision is adopted. 

Taking the floor at a panel discussion at ETUC’s annual European Works Council conference, Livia Spera, General Secretary of European Transport Workers’ Federation denounced the many transport companies taking advantage of the crisis to lower working terms and conditions and disrespecting social dialogue and consultation rights at all levels.

In a letter to EU Transport Commissioner Adina-Ioana Vălean, the ETF Road Transport Section calls for a fair and sustainable deployment of the EU recovery instruments and emphasises the need for investments in a socially sustainable, innovative, fair and better future for road freight transport.

If you are a bus, coach or truck driver and your driving licence, qualification certificate or driver card expired during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, you will be relieved to learn that some of the renewal deadlines have been extended. As were the deadlines for the completion of the driver periodic training, and the replacement of stolen, lost or damaged driver cards.

ETF joins the ETUC in calling on the EU Council to speed up payment of EU emergency support for health and protecting incomes and jobs and agree on an EU Jobs Recovery Plan for massive investment & solidarity. For the transport industry, a recovery plan should not be back-to-business-as-before – a policy shift must accompany it!