News May 22, 2026 European airlines on notice: unions to demand action over reports of labour abuses in Flying Food Group supply chain Aviation trade unions in Europe have committed to mobilising in support of over 1,000 Flying Food Group workers at SFO and LAX airports. At this week’s Section meeting, the ETF’s Civil Aviation Section passed a resolution after hearing from FFG workers and their union, UNITE HERE, to support their five-year struggle for a collective bargaining agreement. FFG workers provide catering services to numerous European carriers at LAX and SFO airports and are a critical part of their supply chains.
Statement May 21, 2026 ETF expresses solidarity following death of London bus driver while on duty We join Unite’s call on Transport for London, bus operators, and the relevant authorities to take immediate action to ensure the safety of all bus workers, including extending violence prevention and de-escalation training to all drivers without delay.
Statement May 21, 2026 28th Regime (EU Inc.): A Single Market Tool or a Licence to Bypass Workers’ Rights? The European Commission’s proposal for a 28th regime, also referred to as EU Inc., is being presented as a major step towards simplifying cross-border business in Europe. By offering companies a single EU-wide legal framework as an alternative to national systems, the initiative aims to reduce administrative burdens and stimulate economic activity. However, from the perspective of ETF, this narrative overlooks the very real risks for workers in highly mobile and cross-border sectors such as transport, where enforcement of labour standards is already a major challenge.
Statement May 20, 2026 The road transport sector is in a long-term crisis: Three demands for structural change The fuel crisis has brought urgency to a debate that should have happened years ago. The ETF is calling on policymakers to use this moment to act on the sector’s future.
News May 18, 2026 Evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy shows the social dimension has been neglected Press release: The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) considers the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), published by the European Commission on 30 April 2026, an important exercise to identify critical issues affecting workers in the fisheries sector. However, the report makes one reality painfully clear: prioritising environmental sustainability almost exclusively has not delivered the expected results.
News May 7, 2026 Automation in Danube inland ports: ETF contribution to the debate Upon the invitation of the Danube Commission, we participated in the Expert Meeting on the Development of Ports and Port Operations in Ruse (Bulgaria). The ETF was represented by Josef Maurer, Head of Aviation and Maritime, as well as Dencho Denchev from our Bulgarian affiliate FTTUB. We were invited to share the workers’ perspective on the conditions for the acceptance of automation and digitalization by port workers.
News April 29, 2026 ETF supports French unions as May 1st is under attack May 1st is a hard-won symbol of workers’ struggle, solidarity, and collective power – a day carved out of history where labour stops, and dignity is affirmed. Today, that meaning is under attack in France. At this week’s meeting in Nicosia, the ETF Executive Committee expressed its solidarity with our French affiliates and committed to supporting them in defending this fundamental day for workers.
News April 27, 2026 For transport and its workers, the EC has learned too little, too late from the previous energy crisis An ETF quick response to the EC ‘AccelerateEU’ communication: The opening line of the EC communication reads: “For the second time in less than five years, the dangers of Europe’s dependency on fossil fuel imports are becoming abundantly clear.” The ETF couldn’t agree more. However, the AccelerateEU communication appears to be yet another example of the EC having learned too little, too late from the previous energy crisis, particularly as far as EU transport policy is concerned.
News Interview: Gerhard Tauchner elected new Chair of ETF Railways section The ETF Railways Section just elected its new Chair, Gerhard Tauchner, to replace Giorgio Tuti, who has been elected as ETF President. In a powerful moment, trade union members thanked the previous Chair for his important work and elected new leadership to defend the future of railway workers at the European level. We decided to interview the new Chair to understand his priorities for the following years.
Statement ETF calls for strong worker protections as Commission launches new Military Mobility initiative A first read of the Commission’s Communication shows that it fails to mention workers even once. It also ignores the persistent problem of labour shortages and how to address them, as well as the well-known deterioration in working conditions in the sector. Disregarding such fundamental issues is a serious threat to the success of this proposal for military mobility. If we can’t attract workers in times of peace, how can we expect to do so in times of war?
News ETF Survey on Violence and Harassment Against Women Transport Workers To better understand the violent realities women transport workers face and to push for real change, the ETF Women’s Committee has launched a new survey: “Violence and harassment against women transport workers.” The aim is to collect testimonies directly from women working in all areas of the transport sector. Fill it in! It’s quick and available in 9 languages!
News Giorgio Tuti Elected New ETF President Belgian trade union leader Frank Moreels stepped down from his function of ETF President, in view of his upcoming role as President of the ITF. A Swiss national, Giorgio Tuti has been a high-profile unionist in the trade union movement since 1988. He served as President of the Swiss Transport Workers’ Union (SEV) for 14 years, from 2009 to 2023 and has been Vice-Chair of the Swiss Trade Union Confederation since 2009. Tuti has been chairing the ETF Railways Section since 2017.