Today, 29 October, following the call of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), railway unions from across Europe organised actions to inform passengers about the tasks of staff on board of trains. Trade union members distributed flyers to passengers on-board of trains and in stations, press conferences were set up to inform the wider public and the management of railway companies were addressed with specific motions, informing them about the actions and the unions’ claims.
On-board staff: a human presence on board of trains
With this campaign the ETF wants to raise awareness about the importance of on-board staff. They are responsible for many tasks in and on the train apart from checking passengers’ tickets.
“Many people are not aware that well-trained staff on board of trains guarantee a human presence that provide information, assistance, help and also play a fundamental role for railway safety and security” says Sabine Trier, ETF Deputy General Secretary. “Just imagine the evacuation of a train in a tunnel without on-board staff trained to manage such circumstances. It is a typical example of a situation that can easily escalate and take unexpected dramatic proportions.”
Trade unions from the following countries participated in today’s actions: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
Pictures from the national actions can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/pkvrhpo
For more information, please contact:
- Sabine Trier, ETF Deputy General Secretary, s.trier@etf-europe.org, +32(0)22854667, +32 (0)477512814
- Andrea Albertazzi, Assistant of ETF Railway Section, a.albertazzi@etf-europe.org, +32 (0)2 2854588
