Our Priorities

In 2017 the ETF Railway Section adopted a five-year work programme with the following three priorities:

1. Promoting quality railway employment – fighting liberalisation and privatisation.
2. Promoting Fair Transport – fighting social dumping in the railway sector in Europe, for labour and trade union rights and social protection in a liberalised rail sector.
3. Ensuring railway safety and security in a changing railway world.

In order to achieve these aims we work in all relevant areas:

• We develop industrial campaigns to show strength and make our voice hear.
• We participate in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue for the rail sector as a potential place for negotiations to maintain and improve working conditions and to promote employment and in particular women’s employment in rail.
• We influence railway policy and legislation.
• We get involved in the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) that is developing technical ‘standards’ and harmonised railway safety policies very relevant for railway workers conditions.
• We follow the Shift2Rail research program that is funding projects relevant for digitalisation and automation of the railways demanding accompanying social impact research funding.

Our current major industrial campaigns in the railways are:

• Stop social dumping: For safe and social rail transport in Europe.
• YOU’RE WELCOME: Keeping train crew on board and fighting against driver-only operations.