News July 23, 2026 Transport workers urgently need quality jobs. Here is how to get there 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.
News July 23, 2026 Italy: New National Agreement between Amazon and transport unions builds on Landmark Organising Success 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.
Press Release July 16, 2026 ETF and its social partner Europêche denounce exclusion from the European Ocean Board 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
News July 9, 2026 ELA report confirms urgent need for stronger social enforcement in aviation 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.
News July 9, 2026 Joint press release: European social partners call for an EU directive to implement the STCW-F convention 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.
News July 8, 2026 The Netherlands showing Europe the way: quality and reliable ground handling are incompatible with relentless competition 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.
News July 8, 2026 How do we make Europe’s fishing sector safer, fairer, and more attractive for the next generation? 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.
News July 3, 2026 ETF meets with EASA Executive Director to discuss aviation safety priorities from workers’ perspective 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.
Vacancies July 3, 2026 Vacancy at the ETF – Communications Manager The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) is a pan-European trade union federation representing more than 5 million transport workers from more than 200 transport unions in 38 European countries in railways, road transport and logistics, maritime transport, inland waterways, civil aviation, ports & docks, tourism and fisheries. We are currently seeking to recruit a Communications Manager.
News July 2, 2026 EU Inc.: Simplification shouldn’t come at the expense of accountability and workers’ rights 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.
News July 2, 2026 ETF railway affiliates visit DAC testing facility in Berlin On 16 June, ETF railway affiliates visited the Train Testing Lab in Berlin at the invitation of FP5-FDFTO to learn more about the development and deployment of the Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC). During the visit, participants observed live demonstrations of DAC testing and received updates on preparations for its installation on pioneer trains and the wider rollout of the technology across the rail freight sector.
News July 1, 2026 New rules for vans from 1 July 2026 From 1 July 2026, light good vehicles (LGVs) used for international transport in the EU must be equipped with a smart tachograph. These requirements are part of the Mobility Package 1, adopted in 2020, and introduce new obligations for both employers and drivers. Below is an overview of what the new rules mean for you as a driver.