News June 24, 2025 Not on our watch: Union workers unite for peace In early June, dockers in Europe took action by refusing to handle military cargo directed to the port of Haifa, Israel. Such actions highlight the growing urgency to end wars and uphold peace – and must not be criminalised. Lawful protests and the refusal to transport military equipment are legitimate expressions of conscience that deserve protection.
Statement June 24, 2025 ETF Supports French Rail Workers’ Call for Urgent Infrastructure Investment French railway workers took the streets because the stakes could not be higher. France needs an additional €2 billion in funding by 2027 just to maintain, regenerate, and modernise its existing rail network infrastructure – not to build new lines, but simply to preserve what already exists at current performance standards. This funding crisis extends beyond France’s borders, representing a fundamental challenge to Europe’s sustainable transport future.
News June 23, 2025 Recognising the Transformative Impact of Public Transport on UN Public Service Day Public transport plays a pivotal role in making societies function, promoting social cohesion and enhancing everyone’s quality of life. It is the most sustainable form of transport, easily accessible to all. It helps reduce noise and air pollution and is the most effective way to cut greenhouse gas emissions from mobility.
Statement June 23, 2025 Railways: ETF Statement on Breakdown of Social Dialogue on Worktime monitoring ETF regrets and denounces the obstructive behaviour of railway employers in the ongoing discussions on time monitoring within the Sectoral Social Dialogue. Particularly the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies’ last-minute intervention to block the participation of the European Union Agency for Railways in the Sectoral Social Dialogue meeting on 23 June 2025, constitutes a serious breach of the mutual trust and respect required for meaningful social dialogue.
News June 23, 2025 Sweden’s Rail Liberalisation: A Failed Experiment and a Wake-Up Call for Europe On UN Public Service Day, ETF honours the vital role of public services in shaping fairer, greener societies. Few are as essential – or as misunderstood – as rail. It’s not just transport: it’s a public good, a climate solution, and a pillar of social justice. For years, the EU praised Sweden’s liberalised rail model. But a new report by Swedish think tank Katalys confirms what unions have long warned: liberalisation has failed. The promise of efficiency gave way to fragmentation and decline. It’s time to rethink rail—not as a market, but as a service for people and planet.
News June 20, 2025 Young Aviation Workers Demand Change! From the outside, aviation may still seem like a glamorous industry. But for many young workers – aircrew, ground staff, and air traffic management (ATM) personnel – the daily reality is a grind of fatigue, insecurity, and unsustainable schedules. In two recent workshops hosted by ETF, young aviation workers shared their lived experiences around the topics of work-life balance and mental health.
Press Release June 19, 2025 Every day is the longest day for drivers: ETF and ITF mark Drivers’ Fatigue Action Day on 21 June 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.
News June 18, 2025 Pride Month: “Equality Is Not Declared: it must be Built” – An Interview with Béatrice Lestic French union leader Béatrice Lestic calls for zero tolerance against workplace discrimination, arguing that true equality requires unions to actively create inclusive environments where LGBTQIA+ workers can be themselves without fear. Her message comes ahead of ETF’s “We are all equally different” conference in Paris on June 26-27, with registrations still open.
News June 13, 2025 Catalonia Fines Amazon for Algorithm Secrecy in Workplace Monitoring The recent decision by Catalonia’s Labour Inspectorate to fine Amazon for failing to disclose the algorithms used to manage its workforce is a landmark moment in the fight against algorithmic exploitation in the logistics and e-commerce sector. This is not an isolated case. Across Europe, AI technologies have become a central feature of warehousing and last-mile delivery, often at the expense of workers’ rights, dignity, and well-being.
News June 12, 2025 Belgium and Ivory Coast ratify ILO “Work in fishing” Convention A key step toward better working conditions for fishers and stronger international labour standards.
News June 6, 2025 ETF warns: Lowering air passenger rights will put frontline workers at risk Aviation workers are concerned about the Council of Transport Ministers agreement on the air passenger rights reform decided by yesterday’s Transport Council. The agreed attacks on passenger rights, such as increasing the threshold for compensation from 3 to 4 hour delays, can have serious consequences for airlines and airports frontline workers, the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) warns.
Statement June 6, 2025 Statement on the EU Semester Spring Package The ETF welcomes the stronger emphasis placed by the European Commission on sustainable transport in the 2025 Country-Specific Recommendations of the European Semester. We are encouraged to see 15 Member States explicitly urged to invest in public rail and urban transport — including commitments to upgrade infrastructure and electrify fleets. These are long-overdue steps towards a more sustainable and inclusive transport system.