The agreement achieved by the ETF affiliate will mean wage increases of between 73% and 85%, and an increase in the number of bonuses the workers get, with unionised workers now having the right to four bonuses per year for the first time in the largely unorganised logistics sector in Turkey.

Brothers and sisters of the ITF.

Ahead of the 2024 European Elections, the ETF now launches its Manifesto "A New Deal for Fair Transport" in more languages. This comprehensive manifesto, that outlines a series of critical demands of European transport workers, is now available in German, Italian, French and Spanish! This manifesto is a call to action to all candidates for the EU election and European political parties to commit to these demands, advocating for a fair and just Europe that places transport workers at the forefront of its policies.

Turkish union Tümtis has successfully negotiated a landmark outcome for its members with DHL Logistics Services.

Last week, Finland witnessed a significant moment in its labour movement history as thousands of workers took to the streets in a powerful demonstration against proposed government cuts. On February 1 and 2, the Finnish capital, Helsinki, became the epicentre of a massive mobilisation led by the trade union confederations SAK and STTK under the banner "STOP Now!" This nationwide protest was a direct response to the right-wing government's plans to implement cuts in working life policies and social security, sparking widespread concern among the workforce.

Hundreds of thousands of workers have been taking part in strike action across Finland in protest at the right-wing governments plans to attack workers’ rights. Prime minister Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition party plans to restrict the right to strike, to undermine the system of wage negotiation and cut unemployment benefits.

In a recent initiative highlighting the global nature of the fisheries sector, European social partners have turned their focus towards Taiwan, particularly due to the significant employment of Asian migrant fishers on Taiwanese-owned vessels. These workers face distressing labour abuses, especially within Taiwan's extensive distant water fleet, which operates far from the country's shores.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) stands in absolute support of the rights of workers across the world to take strike action.

Sisters, brothers, comrades. On behalf of the whole ITF team, I want to wish you all a happy new year for 2024.

In her opening remarks, ETF General Secretary Livia Spera emphasised the urgent need for European and national transport policies to become more coherent and worker-centric. "Without immediate action," Spera warned, "Europe risks facing a severe shortage of personnel to operate our trains, buses, trams, and trucks."

The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), a keen observer and active participant in the formulation of this strategy, has played a crucial role in influencing the report’s final content. Initially, the draft report had a glaring omission – it failed to address the workforce, a critical component of the port ecosystem.

In a bid to tackle the exploitation of migrant fishing workers in UK waters, a two-year pilot programme has been launched that, if successful, will see migrant fishers working in UK waters be subject to the rights and protections of UK employment laws.