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!

The ETF calls on EU Commissioner for Transport, Members of the European Parliament and Member States for a social deployment of the EU recovery budget in the bus and coach transport.

In an open letter addressed to the EU’s Transport Ministers, the ETF makes a plea for a transparent, inclusive, and open process to shape up the future transport policy.

A group of unions representing workers at UPS around Europe urge the company to introduce recognition awards for workers and call for a meeting.