27 May 2005: European transport trade unionists issued a strong challenge to neoliberalism at a major conference this week.
The ETF’s 2nd Ordinary Congress on 25th and 26th May 2005 in Aland, Finland, which brought together 400 women and men from all parts of Europe ended sucessfully yesterday by rejecting mainstream ideology and pressure from big industrial groups, and demanding a new White Paper on transport, focusing on the impact of social policy.
Congress heard a strong commitment from the Luxembourg Presidency to social rights and integrated transport. Lucien Lux, the Transport Minister of Luxembourg – current President of the EU Council of Transport Ministers and former trade unionist, concluded his speech covering ETF policy positions for the different transport modes by assuring delegates that he remained a strong supporter of trade union values. “Together we are stronger,” he reminded Congress.
The Congress elected a new ETF General Secretary, Portuguese trade unionist Eduardo Chagas. Chagas, formerly responsible for the ETF’s maritime sections, said “the ETF has grown up in the six years since it was was founded; now we are truly moving Europe forward”.
In her speech to Congress, outgoing General Secretary Doro Zinke said that the ETF had made its mark on Europe by effective campaigning against Ports Package 1 – the first attempt by the Commission to liberalise the region’s ports. Now it was time to defeat the second ports package – which was even worse, she said.
In addition, the Congress debated issues ranging from implementation of agreed cross border conditions for rail workers, to cabotage in road transport and trade union rights in Ryanair. Following a Conference of European Women Transport Workers on 24th May, a wide-ranging action programme on gender equality was adopted.
Guests to the Congress included John Monks, ETUC General Secretary and Carola Fischbach of the European Public Service Union, EPSU.