As part of the European continent undergoes its fourth heatwave of 2026, it has become abundantly clear that occupational heat exposure is no longer an exceptional or occasional summer hazard. It is an emergent occupational hazard only destined to escalate. Europe is the second fastest-warming region of the globe after the Arctic. According to EU-OSHA 2025 numbers, one in five workers in the EU signaled exposure to extreme heat at work in the previous 12 months, a figure rising to one in three in some countries.

Summer may be synonymous with relaxation for holidaymakers and every summer seems to produce its share of eye-catching headlines. Just days ago, The Guardian reported on a drunk British holidaymaker who tried to kiss a flight attendant on a plane and was arrested on his way back through Palma airport. A week earlier, headlines were dominated by reports of a flight from Dublin to Ibiza descending into what was described as "sex and booze chaos," leaving fellow passengers shocked.

Public transport unions in the United Kingdom are raising urgent concerns about the lack of access to toilet facilities for bus and train drivers, a problem that has persisted for years but is now reaching a breaking point. Reports from across the UK show drivers being forced to work entire shifts without guaranteed access to a toilet, leaving them to rely on improvised or unsafe alternatives, including urinating in bottles in their driving cab. Some unions are now considering industrial action to force employers and authorities to act.

On 20 July, the European Commission published the second-stage consultation to gather the views of trade unions and employers’ organisations on how to improve the quality of jobs in the EU. This is a further step towards a Quality Jobs Act, a possibly legislative proposal on some key issues that need to be addressed to address major shortcomings in the labour markets across the EU. This is topical in transport, where the serious, structural labour shortages the sector has known for decades are in fact a due to a shortage of quality jobs.

Amazon has signed the first nationally applicable company-level collective agreement in its history, covering all of its 57 sites in Italy. Concluded by ETF affiliates FILT‑CGIL, FIT‑CISL and UILTrasporti with Amazon Italia Transport and Amazon Italia Logistica, the agreement marks a historic moment for industrial relations between trade unions and the American logistics giant.

ETF and Europêche have strongly criticised the European Commission's decision to exclude maritime and fisheries worker representation from the newly established European Ocean Board

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.