Social Dialogue

2017 marked the 50^th anniversary of the IWT Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee although we must admit that dialogue was not always an option and many years were left unused.

The European Social Partners, ETF together with its employers’ counterparts EBU (European Barge Union) and ESO (European Skippers’ Organisation) are the representative spokes bodies for the European Inland Waterways sector.

The 2020-2021 work programme addresses the following issues:

• Digital and real-time registration of individual working and resting times;
• Harmonisation and modernisation of professional qualifications for all functions in IWT, EU-wide;
• Uniform rules to coordinate the application of social security legislation;
• Fair employment conditions in the River Cruise sector – negotiations on an EU-wide sector agreement;
• New crewing regulation for the sector.

The full text of the IWT Social Dialogue Committee Workplan 2020-2021 can be downloaded here.

European Social Partners dedicate ample time to monitoring the correct implementation of European legislation such as the Working Time Directive and the Directive on the recognition of professional qualifications, as well as other horizontal European initiatives that might impact on the workers in the sector.

In April 2018 ETF, EBU and ESO adopted a joint declaration on the elimination of violence against women and LGTBQI workers in the workplace after the 2017 ETF Study on workplace violence against women transport workers clearly revealed that women working in the sector are subject to high levels of abuse, threats, intimidation and offensive behaviour.  This study was the first in its kind and is based on survey responses from more than 1.400 women transport workers from across Europe.  The IWT Social Partners clearly expressed their solid commitment to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and LGTBQI workers in the sector.  The summary and the supplementary report can be downloaded here.