European Parliament

MEPs have voted on the Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive. The package will give enhanced rights to some categories of workers, but seagoing workers are still excluded. A joint letter with EPSU, EuroCOP and EUROMIL expresses our disappointment.

The ETF welcome today's vote in the EU Parliament on the minimum level of training for seafarers. There was indeed substantial scope for improving the efficiency of the administrative framework regarding the mutual recognition of training and certification systems foreseen under directive 2008/106/EC.

The EU Parliament has a deal on the Mobility Package, a massive reform of EU rules governing road transport. The ETF welcomes the compromise as a step ahead towards clearer and better rules.

Our meetings with European political groups continue. On 26 and 28 February ETF spoke with leaders of the European Peoples Party (EPP) and the Greens/EFA. EU elections are just around the corner, and politicians were interested to hear our proposals to end social dumping in the transport sector and our social approach to automation and digitalisation.

Vulnerable communities face the loss of vital services. Drivers have to reckon with a further “Flixbusification” of their work: low pay, dreadful conditions and unstable employment.

Just 3 month before the EU elections, MEPs are about to give the green light to a destructive reform that could ruin quality jobs and leave vulnerable communities without vital services.

Seafarers and fishermen are often denied basic rights granted to onshore workers. Now they could once again pay a heavy price. EU member states are about to finalise new rules that would exclude seagoing workers from the right to basic information about their own working conditions. How can they justify that?

Trade union representatives from Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, and Belgium met for a workshop on 23-24 January 2019 in Vienna. During the event, Evelyn Regner’s sponsorship of the ETF Fair Transport Europe campaign was announced.

In the first of a series of meetings with European political groups, ETF spoke with leaders of GUE/NGL. EU elections are fast approaching, and they were interested to hear our proposals to end social dumping and exploitation in the transport sector.