The European transport workers are in mourning following a devastating week for the Spanish railway sector. Within just 48 hours, two separate accidents have claimed lives and left dozens injured, raising urgent questions about infrastructure safety and the need for sustained investment. As the situation develops, the ETF is closely monitoring the investigations and remains in constant contact with our Spanish affiliates. We stand in total solidarity with the Spanish trade unions and fully support the actions they decide to take to ensure the safety and protection of railway workers and the public.

Representatives of the European blue economy value chain met yesterday with Commissioner Costas Kadis, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, to discuss the forthcoming Roadmap for the Energy Transition of Fisheries. The meeting brought together SEA Europe, Europêche, Copa-Cogeca, the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and the European Association of Fish Producers’ Organisations (EAPO), representing fishers and aquaculture producers, producers’ organisations, cooperatives, workers, shipyards and maritime equipment manufacturers.

Trade unionists from across Europe recently gathered in Rome for the ETF seminar “Organising and negotiating in Supply Chains: Building on the Experience of ETF Affiliates with Amazon”, supported by the European Workers’ Participation Fund (EWPF) of the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI). The purpose was to understand how Italian unions managed to do what many elsewhere have struggled to achieve: normalise industrial relations with Amazon and extend collective bargaining across a supply chain.

Following a high-level coordination meeting of affiliated trade unions representing riders across Europe, the two federations released a joint declaration calling on EU institutions and national governments to step in and end widespread social dumping and worker exploitation.

The ETF convened a major two-day networking event in Brussels (9-10 December) that successfully brought together a wide array of stakeholders in the public transport sector. This event allowed us to map convergences and common goals, opening the way for future alliances to improve public transport in Europe. Participants included representatives from public transport unions, green campaigners, passenger groups, disabled rights activists, employers, and policymakers, including MEP Lena Schilling, coming from all over Europe.

ETF and Europêche sent a joint letter to Commissioner Michael McGrath expressing concern over the European Commission’s decision to postpone the delegated act on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The decision would delay reporting obligations for non-EU companies for at least two years, and potentially remove the legal basis for such obligations altogether.

The European Social Partners in Fisheries express their deep concern and strong opposition to the European Commission’s proposal for Mediterranean fishing opportunities for 2026. The measures, representing some of the most severe cuts ever imposed, risk dismantling an entire sector already pushed to its limits, putting at stake thousands of jobs, family livelihoods and the socio-economic fabric of coastal communities across the region.

Recent enforcement actions in Sweden and France have exposed the continuing failure of many hauliers to respect EU rules on drivers’ rest periods. Operators have been hit with heavy fines for forcing drivers to spend their mandatory weekly rest in truck cabins – a practice strictly banned under the 2020 Mobility Package to protect drivers’ health and quality of life, as well as improve safety on European roads.

The European Transport Workers’ Federation welcomes the publication of the European Commission’s Quality Jobs Roadmap and the initiation of the first-phase social partner consultation, which signals a positive intent to improve the quality of jobs across Europe. The ETF reminds that ensuring quality jobs is fundamental to workers’ well-being and their right to work with dignity, as well as boosting competitiveness.

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Ole Philipsen, Chair of the ITF Offshore Task Force and a long-standing member of the ITF’s Fair Practices Committee. Ole passed away after a short and sudden illness. Ole served for almost 30 years as a respected leader within Dansk Metal, where he held the position of Head of the Seafaring Section (Metal Maritime). He was known for his deep commitment to improving the lives of seafarers, and he brought that same commitment, integrity, and sense of justice to his work across the ITF.

Today, union federations EFBWW, EFFAT, and ETF, along with workers and MEPs, gathered outside the European Parliament to show their support ahead of the EMPL Committee vote on the report addressing abusive subcontracting and unregulated labour intermediation. The mobilisation highlighted the urgency of EU action.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), together with Nautilus NL and FNV, has submitted a formal request to the Court of Appeal in the Netherlands to reconsider and correct key preliminary considerations in its recent interim ruling concerning the Non-Seafarers’ Work Clause (NSWC).