The European Transport Workers’ Federation strongly welcomes the UK government’s decision to bring South Western Railway back into public ownership – the first step in reversing the country’s decades-long experiment with rail privatisation. This marks a significant political shift and a renewed recognition that public transport must serve people, not profit.

No one should fear being themselves at work—but for too many LGBTIQ+ people in Europe, that fear is still a daily reality. Nearly 1 in 5 report discrimination at work. Trade unions must take action. We demand safe, inclusive workplaces and strong EU-wide laws that truly protect everyone—on the job, in schools, and beyond. It’s time to move from promises to protection.

Despite repeated written requests for involvement and offers of talks from the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the BCP has shown no interest in including those who will be working on the railway every day in its discussions. Offering social partners only written exchanges or retrospective information is insufficient. This approach fails to provide the urgently needed transparency and social dialogue.