In a roundtable discussion on the future of goods transport at the European Parliament, the perspectives of railway workers, various European industries and policymakers came together. The conversation, organized by MEP René Repasi in collaboration of ETF, centered around the challenges and opportunities the rail freight sector faces in Europe. The event saw a vibrant exchange of input and positions calling for consistency in policy making, as well as highlighting the importance of the rail freight sector.

ETF stands in solidarity with logistics workers and their unions in France following the national mobilisation that began on April 2 for the entire logistics sector. This national movement follows on from a local grassroots action at ID Logistics, an international contract logistics group based in France, with a revenue of €2,747 million (2023).

EFBWW, EFFAT, and ETF have joined forces to confront the common challenges of abusive subcontracting, unregulated labour intermediaries, and insufficient enforcement of existing workers' rights within their sectors. These issues underpin high levels of social dumping and labour crime, unequal treatment in the workplace, low wages, unrecorded working hours, disrespect for health and safety rules, and labour exploitation, especially towards migrant and mobile workers.

The European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) is sounding the alarm over the potential inclusion of fishing fuels under the revised Energy Taxation Directive. The ETF, alongside other European organizations representing the entire fisheries sector value chain, has sent a joint letter to the European Parliament and national authorities urging them to exempt fishing from the Directive's scope.

The dispute over the national Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of Italian dockworkers has led ETF affiliates Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, and Uiltrasporti, to call for a national 24-hour strike between April 3rd and 5th, 2024, with the peak of the protests organized in Genoa through a national demonstration on April 5th.

As the Connecting Europe Days unfold, the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) stands with a resounding call for European policymakers to prioritize the future of rail transport on the continent. The railway sector has long been the backbone of European mobility, fostering economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social cohesion. However, without a cohesive and visionary strategy for its advancement, the potential of rail transport remains largely untapped.

Concrete measures must be implemented to deter those who exploit the internal market by establishing letter-box companies in countries with lower working conditions and protections while providing services in more economically prosperous countries. This includes discouraging those who flout posting rules or engage in fraudulent employment schemes, thereby perpetrating social security fraud and utilizing fraudulent employment practices.

While representing a significant breakthrough and the unblocking of a worrying political stalemate, the CSDDD was severely weakened under EU Member State lobbying – with the resulting Directive left far weaker than originally intended, covering far fewer companies and workers.

Transport union federations ETF and ITF welcome Friday’s bittersweet breakthrough on due diligence Directive The vote by EU states in favour of the bloc’s supply chain accountability Directive will dramatically improve the lives of millions of workers in the supply chains of businesses operating in the EU – say the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

Two years ago, trade unionists across the globe reacted in outrage as P&O Ferries illegally sacked 786 UK seafarers, a move that UK unions RMT and Nautilus labelled a ‘national scandal’. These workers have yet to receive the justice they deserve, and the threat of another P&O Ferries-style jobs massacre looms large due to government inaction.

In Finland, a right-wing government has launched the most serious attack on workers' rights and social security in the history of the Finnish welfare state. The unions are fighting to defend the country's social model. On 11 March trade unions began a wave of political strike action that is currently intended to continue for two weeks. The strikes will, among other actions, close all cargo handling in Finnish ports. Photo: Jani Laukkanen.

Underhand business practices targeting seafarers will advance low-cost UK employment model. Businesses charging seafarers for accommodation on board the ships they work on undermines international law and could trigger a race to the bottom on workers’ pay, International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) General Secretary Stephen Cotton told the UK Government.