European Parliament

The French Green has been a supporter of our campaigns and demands in the past, and we congratulate her on returning to the role.

This week the EU has chosen new leaders for its key institutions, but most of the candidates are not exactly progressive. One exception is David Sassoli, the Italian chosen to lead the European Parliament for the next 30 months. We sent him an open letter to remind him of his previous commitments to workers' rights, and make clear how urgently working people in Europe need a new approach.

Voters did not deliver the feared right-wing tsunami...but the new European Parliament is more liberal and green, with a larger nationalist and xenophobic component. We look at the results and see what they will mean for coalition building and our lobbying.

Worker-friendly parties have not suffered the disaster that was predicted, but the new European Parliament will require brave and creative coalitions. Now the EU must deliver a concrete and progressive response to voters’ social concerns. That is the only way to see off the populists and the far-right.

Udo Bullmann’s S&D group has been a reliable ally over the past years, and he pledged to work with us for better conditions in the transport sector. Strong connections with MEPs are vital as we fight for Fair Transport in Europe, and we are reaching out to various parties.

With European elections starting in two days, IRU and ETF - the EU social partners for road transport - call on the European Commission and Parliament to put enforcement at the top of the EU transport agenda for the next legislative term.

On 23-26 May 2019 EU citizens will decide which politicians will represent them and defend their interests at EU level. The ETF is firmly convinced of the need for a better and more social Europe, and we've been taking our Fair Transport manifesto to potential MEPs.

ETF and ITF wrote to the candidates in the European Parliament elections to raise awareness of our campaign for better working conditions at Ryanair and to ask them to make a real difference to the lives of Ryanair workers during their mandate.

ETF and our Fair Transport banner joined 8000 workers in a march to support a fairer EU with better jobs, better pay and better social protection.