Thousands to take the streets in Lyon for Fair Transport this 28 June

Press release 24 Jun 2022

This 28 June, the European Transport Workers’ Federation – thousands of transport workers and their unions – will march in the streets of Lyon, France, for Fair Transport.

What’s the common denominator between countries across Europe this summer? It’s strike action.

UK railway and public transport workers, dockers in Germany, aircrew and ground handling in Belgium with strike actions announced in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Malta – the entire transport industry, is in upheaval.

Workers are outraged, and they’re taking industrial action all over Europe with good reason:

Working conditions in transport have been deteriorating to a point where the sector is unworkable: workers no longer want to work for an industry that cannot be bothered to provide them with decent jobs
Job, pay, and funding cuts left and right coupled with the rising cost of inflation

The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), transport workers and their unions will come together in Lyon to march for Fair Transport on 28 June to demand decent jobs, pay and working conditions.

Why 28 June? Lyon will host Connecting Europe Days; a recurring event organised this year by the European Commission and the French Presidency of the Council of the EU.

For two days, the event will gather politicians, industry representatives and the European Commission to discuss transport and mobility – without transport workers’ representatives.

This, after the very same European Commission called transport workers ‘the transport sector’s most valuable asset’ last year.

Leaving the voices of over 5 million transport workers out is no way to show respect to the workers who move Europe.

Ahead of Connecting Europe Days, the ETF has sent a letter to all EU transport ministers, asking them to immediately act and make the transport sector a decent working place for workers through close involvement of their trade unions.

Together with all European and national politicians ready to commit to improving working conditions in the sector, we are prepared to build a strong ‘Fair Transport Alliance’.

The Fair Transport rally on 28 June will start at 1 PM from Gare des Brotteaux in Lyon, France. More info here

– ENDS –

For more information, please contact:
Begüm Boynukalin, ETF Communications Officer
Mobile Phone: (+32) 478 79 40 53
Email: b.boynukalin@etf-europe.org

Note to the editor:

The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) represents over 5 million transport workers from more than 200 transport unions across Europe, from the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Central and Eastern Europe, in over 30 countries.

ETF’s work is driven by its vision for Fair Transport: quality jobs with safe, reliable transport services for customers.