covid19

The ETF has addressed an open letter to EU member states on behalf of trade union member organisations representing professional drivers; calling on on national authorities across Europe to keep restaurants, cafes and sanitary facilities open in parking areas. The well-being of our drivers depends on it!

On the heels of yesterday's report on How to Make Transport Fit for Women to Work in which revealed an alarming gender divide in the transport industry, comes a joint call by ETF and MEP Vera Tax call on Commissioner Vălean and Commissioner Dalli to mainstream a gender-responsive approach into EU transport policies. A debate on Women in Transport in the framework of the first European Gender Equality Week at the European Parliament, will take place today and tackle the underlying issues that lead to an underrepresentation of women in the transport sector.

ETF’s survey of around 3,000 women reveals a growing gender divide and marks the beginning of a campaign to ‘Make Transport Fit for Women to Work in’ targeting policymakers and social partners at both national and European level.

ETF and fellow ETUFs have joined the ETUC to launch a petition for more democracy at work!

In honour of World Day for Decent Work, the ETF has released its very first episode of ETF Talks: Conversations that Put Social First! This very first segment, Trade Unions Build Back Better!, focuses on the effects of COVID-19, the vital role of trade unions, the road to recovery, and what the future of transport could look like and what it will look like if workers are not an integral part of it all.

Social partners in urban public transport, ETF and UITP, virtually came together last week to discuss issues affecting urban public transport workers, the impact of the pandemic and the implementation of their joint work programme.

ETF, Europeche and Cogeca addressed a letter to the relevant authorities of Senegal and Ivory Coast to ask for their cooperation and support in facilitating the repatriation of fishermen stranded in West Africa.

The EC Communication and its recommended measures – meant to keep intra-EU borders open during this time of crisis - seem to be somehow disconnected from reality, both with regard to the development of the pandemic and to the expected transport trends.

ETF would like to stress that this must be a temporary measure, strictly limited to the transport of goods of strict necessity!

In the wake of the informal meeting of the Council of Transport Ministers, the ETF has once again sent a letter to Commissioner Vălean. The ETF waited for the outcome of this meeting, in hopes that concrete measures to protect our transport workers would emerge from it. What emerged was the exact opposite, and we are extremely disappointed in the Council's (un)willingness to tackle this safety emergency that poses a threat, which grows by the minute, for transport workers.