Tugs are small vessels that guide larger ships into and out of harbour. Workers in this industry face specific challenges, distinct from other workers in Europe’s docks, shipping and inland waterways.

Global tug operators are playing hardball in the sector and their aggressive competition is pushing down working terms and conditions. Major shipping companies play a decisive role behind the scenes – they drive down prices by imposing large discounts to in-house tug operators, and thus endanger the economic sustainability of the entire tug industry and the jobs it creates.

Because of this situation, the ETF Tug Steering Committee was founded at the 2017 Barcelona Congress. The Tug Steering Committee operates under the coordination of the ETF Inland Waterways section. It will develop mutual cooperation amongst ETF affiliates that represent tug workers, and establish an ETF policy and strategy on tugs. The end goal is to develop impactful tools to protect and strengthen the workers in the tug sector.

The ETF Tug Steering Committee is composed of one member per European country in which tug workers are being represented and meets three times a year in a place where tug operations are in place. The ETF Tug network is the advisory body to the ETF Tug Steering Committee on all issues relating to the tug sector in Europe.  It meets once a year in a place where tug operations are in place.

At its first meeting the ETF Tug Steering Committee elected:

• Jacques Kerkhof, BTB, Belgium – Chair
• Richard Crease, Unite the Union, UK – Vice-Chair