News May 22, 2026 European airlines on notice: unions to demand action over reports of labour abuses in Flying Food Group supply chain Aviation trade unions in Europe have committed to mobilising in support of over 1,000 Flying Food Group workers at SFO and LAX airports. At this week’s Section meeting, the ETF’s Civil Aviation Section passed a resolution after hearing from FFG workers and their union, UNITE HERE, to support their five-year struggle for a collective bargaining agreement. FFG workers provide catering services to numerous European carriers at LAX and SFO airports and are a critical part of their supply chains.
Statement May 21, 2026 ETF expresses solidarity following death of London bus driver while on duty We join Unite’s call on Transport for London, bus operators, and the relevant authorities to take immediate action to ensure the safety of all bus workers, including extending violence prevention and de-escalation training to all drivers without delay.
Statement May 21, 2026 28th Regime (EU Inc.): A Single Market Tool or a Licence to Bypass Workers’ Rights? The European Commission’s proposal for a 28th regime, also referred to as EU Inc., is being presented as a major step towards simplifying cross-border business in Europe. By offering companies a single EU-wide legal framework as an alternative to national systems, the initiative aims to reduce administrative burdens and stimulate economic activity. However, from the perspective of ETF, this narrative overlooks the very real risks for workers in highly mobile and cross-border sectors such as transport, where enforcement of labour standards is already a major challenge.
Statement May 20, 2026 The road transport sector is in a long-term crisis: Three demands for structural change The fuel crisis has brought urgency to a debate that should have happened years ago. The ETF is calling on policymakers to use this moment to act on the sector’s future.
News May 18, 2026 Evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy shows the social dimension has been neglected Press release: The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) considers the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), published by the European Commission on 30 April 2026, an important exercise to identify critical issues affecting workers in the fisheries sector. However, the report makes one reality painfully clear: prioritising environmental sustainability almost exclusively has not delivered the expected results.
News May 7, 2026 Automation in Danube inland ports: ETF contribution to the debate Upon the invitation of the Danube Commission, we participated in the Expert Meeting on the Development of Ports and Port Operations in Ruse (Bulgaria). The ETF was represented by Josef Maurer, Head of Aviation and Maritime, as well as Dencho Denchev from our Bulgarian affiliate FTTUB. We were invited to share the workers’ perspective on the conditions for the acceptance of automation and digitalization by port workers.
News April 29, 2026 ETF supports French unions as May 1st is under attack May 1st is a hard-won symbol of workers’ struggle, solidarity, and collective power – a day carved out of history where labour stops, and dignity is affirmed. Today, that meaning is under attack in France. At this week’s meeting in Nicosia, the ETF Executive Committee expressed its solidarity with our French affiliates and committed to supporting them in defending this fundamental day for workers.
News April 27, 2026 For transport and its workers, the EC has learned too little, too late from the previous energy crisis An ETF quick response to the EC ‘AccelerateEU’ communication: The opening line of the EC communication reads: “For the second time in less than five years, the dangers of Europe’s dependency on fossil fuel imports are becoming abundantly clear.” The ETF couldn’t agree more. However, the AccelerateEU communication appears to be yet another example of the EC having learned too little, too late from the previous energy crisis, particularly as far as EU transport policy is concerned.
News April 23, 2026 Environmental Modulation of Air Navigation Service Charges: Ensuring Sustainability While Safeguarding the ATM System The ongoing reform of the European Union’s Air Traffic Management (ATM) performance and charging framework has become a central issue in the debate on aviation sustainability and system resilience. In , we highlighted the need for a more balanced and realistic approach to reform – one that safeguards the operational integrity, financial stability, and workforce of the ATM system while contributing meaningfully to environmental objectives. The ETF continues to caution against reforms that prioritise cost-efficiency and traffic growth at the expense of capacity, staffing, and long-term investment, as such an approach risks weakening the very system it seeks to optimise.
Press Release April 22, 2026 ETF Launches #SaveRailFreight Campaign at Brussels Conference The ETF is calling for a fundamental reorientation of EU rail policy away from a decade-long focus on liberalisation and market competition that has not delivered and towards a model grounded in public interest, industrial resilience and long-term sustainability. The ETF also insists that growth in rail freight must go hand in hand with strong commitments on workers’ rights: high health and safety standards, recognised qualifications, guaranteed access to basic facilities, and tamper-proof monitoring of driving, working and rest times for all mobile staff.
News April 22, 2026 Flying through a fragmented world Aircrew today do not simply fly across the world; they fly into it. Escalating geopolitical tensions, fragmented airspace, and rapidly shifting threat environments have fundamentally reshaped what it means to operate a flight. From the outside, geopolitical risk can appear abstract – a line on a map, an overflight restriction, a rerouting decision made by operations or security departments. For cabin crew, however, exposure is far more immediate and tangible.
News April 22, 2026 Civil society coalition calls for urgent Investment in Public Transport to tackle the oil crisis As oil prices surge in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East, creating what the International Energy Agency (IEA) describes as the largest energy shock in history, a coalition of 17 European organisations has issued a joint call on policymakers to urgently act on IEA Recommendation 3: incentivising a shift from private cars to public transport and active mobility.