News June 18, 2026 Violence is not part of the job! This is the 2nd survey on “Violence and harassment against women transport workers” conducted by the ETF and the results are a clear call to action. The findings confirm what has already been reported by individual women transport workers and trade union members: violence and harassment have increased after the Covid-19 pandemic
News June 18, 2026 Every day is the longest day for drivers: ETF marks Driver Fatigue Action Day on 21 June To mark the longest day of the year, 21 June, the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) is shining a light on a crisis that never ends: driver fatigue. On 21 June, ETF and its affiliates will organise coordinated actions across Europe to raise awareness of fatigue in road freight and passenger transport, and to call for better working conditions for all professional drivers.
News June 18, 2026 EASA report highlights fatigue and communication issues as key aviation safety concerns EASA has published its latest report examining the relationship between civil aviation safety and socio-economic factors, as required under Article 89 of the EASA Basic Regulation, identifying fatigue and communication issues as key safety concerns.
News June 10, 2026 Public Transport: Third Regional Workshop gathered unions in Berlin (TU4BPT Project) The third regional workshop of the TU4BPT project took place on 2 and 3 June, gathering trade union representatives from the public transport sector to deepen their understanding of, and readiness for, the twin transitions currently transforming the industry: the green transition and the digital transition.
News June 10, 2026 ETF Response to the Council Conclusions on Europe’s Maritime Industrial and Port Strategies The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) welcomes the Council’s adoption of conclusions on the EU Maritime Industrial Strategy and the EU Port Strategy, recognising their importance for strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, resilience, technological leadership and strategic autonomy.
Statement June 9, 2026 ETF Calls on EU Ministers to Protect Transport Workers in Military Mobility Regulation ETF has written to EU Ministers and Ambassadors, urging them to address critical gaps in worker protection in the European Commission’s proposed Regulation on Military Transport, currently under discussion in the Council of the European Union. ETF warns that the Commission’s proposal rests on a flawed assumption: that Europe’s transport systems can absorb additional pressure during crises without investment in the workforce that runs them.
News June 8, 2026 UNIONDRIVE holds first regional workshop on collective bargaining and minimum wages in Bucharest On 4–5 June 2026, the ETF held the first workshop in the series of its EU co-funded project Empowering Transport Workers in Central and Eastern Europe (UNIONDRIVE) in Bucharest, Romania. Bringing together transport unions from aviation, road transport and urban public transport, the workshop focused on the implementation of Directive (EU) 2022/2041 on adequate minimum wages and its implications for collective bargaining in the transport sector.
Statement June 8, 2026 Recognition of Serbian inland navigation certificates: a positive step for workers but challenges remain The recent recognition by the European Union of Serbia’s inland navigation crew certificates marks an important milestone for workers in the inland waterways sector and for the integration of the Western Balkans into the European transport area. Following a European Commission decision, certificates of qualification, service records and logbooks issued by Serbia will now be recognised across EU inland waterways, removing long-standing barriers to labour mobility.
Statement June 4, 2026 ETF Railways Section proposes 7 measures to reverse the agony of the rail freight sector in Europe Next week, on 8 June, EU Transport Ministers will gather for a Transport Council meeting and rail freight is expected to be in focus. ETF is calling on Ministers to match the commitment the sector urgently needs, and warns that any initiative falling short of a comprehensive response risks deepening a crisis that has been decades in the making.
Statement June 3, 2026 Road Transport’s simplification package must not weaken workers’ rights ETF’s message to the Commission is clear: simplification must not weaken workers’ rights, social protections or working conditions. Instead, it should deliver smarter tools that better protect workers, support labour inspectorates and strengthen the enforcement of existing road transport rules.
News May 29, 2026 ETF, ITF and IRU call for stronger safety rules to protect bus drivers in frontal collisions In a joint letter addressed to the government representatives in the UNECE Working Party on Passive Safety (GRSP), ETF, ITF and IRU highlight that bus drivers remain at serious risk in frontal crashes. The letter urges the government representatives to work on this issue, including the creation of a dedicated working group as proposed by the Norwegian government.
News May 27, 2026 Landmark report reveals labour social rights gap for sea workers in Europe On 27 May, a major new report titled “Charting the Distinct Rights of Sea Workers in European Waters: A Focus on Decent Working Time” was released by the World Maritime University (WMU) commissioned by the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The study is primarily driven by the differential treatment of sea workers compared with land-based workers, which has resulted in their exclusion from several EU directives and in working and living conditions that fall below general labour standards. The report highlights major gaps between the labour protections afforded to sea workers and those enjoyed by land-based workers across Europe.