To mark the longest day of the year, the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), with the support of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), is once again shining a light on a crisis that doesn’t end with daylight: 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 safe rates for all drivers.
Fatigue is not just a personal health issue – it’s a risk for professional drivers and other road users. According to an ETF study, over 60% of truck drivers and 66% of bus and coach drivers admitted to regularly driving while fatigued. One in four bus drivers and one in three truck drivers have fallen asleep behind the wheel. In too many cases, drivers were unable to stop and rest when they needed to. This is unacceptable.
We call on policymakers, national governments, and employers to enforce and comply with the EU rules in road transport. Road safety cannot be guaranteed when professional drivers are chronically overworked, underpaid, and denied the rest they need. A safe transport system demands fair working conditions.
Quote from Livia Spera, ETF’s General Secretary:
“For too many professional drivers, every day is the longest day. Fatigue is systematically built into their working conditions. This is a safety crisis created by unfair pay, poor enforcement, unreasonable pressure, and supply chains that prioritise the lowest price over a sustainable road transport industry” said Livia Spera, ETF General Secretary.
This year’s theme connects fatigue with safe rates – a key demand of the ETF and ITF campaign. Safe rates ensure that drivers are fairly paid for all the time they work, so they don’t have to choose between safety and a living wage. Whether they own their vehicle or work for a company, drivers must be able to support their families without sacrificing their health or the safety of others on the road. Legal frameworks or multistakeholder agreements can guarantee safe rates by:
● Setting fair and equal pay and conditions for all drivers
● Holding supply chain actors and platform companies accountable
● Ensuring proper enforcement
● Including unions in every step of the process
Quote from Stephen Cotton, ITF’s General Secretary
“The way forward is clear: Safe Rates save lives,” said Stephen Cotton, ITF General Secretary. “When drivers are paid fairly, they don’t have to speed, skip rest, or risk their lives to make ends meet. Governments and industry stakeholders must act now to set and enforce fair standards in road transport together. We call on companies that depend on road transport to work with the ITF to make road transport fair, safe, sustainable and inclusive.”
National actions will be organised by ETF affiliates across Europe, with a central ETF event on driver fatigue on 20 June in Freiburg, Germany, co-hosted with ver.di, and with the presence of ETF’s General Secretary. This will be followed by a visit to a parking area on June 21 to meet and talk with drivers directly.
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