We have seen many changes in the 5 years since our 5th Ordinary ETF Congress in Barcelona in 2017, but there are also many similarities with that world.

The COVID-19 pandemic shook the world and particularly our transport workers, putting them under intense physical and psychological strain in order to keep our continent moving. Logistics has become an increasingly important mode of operations, with transport being consumption-driven, and putting downward pressure throughout the supply chain and in the last mile. This is driven in large part by e-commerce business models, but digital technologies are also creating new forms of work through platforms, and are also increasingly prevalent in our transport work – sometimes leading to increased control and subordination of workers to machines and algorithms and not people. The climate crisis not only continues but deepens, despite all the rhetoric we have heard since 2017. We’ve witnessed the continued rise of right-wing extremism throughout our continent, with attacks targeting some of our trade unions. We are also now witnessing a large-scale invasion of a sovereign nation by another on our continent, something that many of us had thought impossible.

We will use our Congress as an opportunity to take stock of our achievements and what we have learned since 2017 in our journey to our common destination of Fair Transport. Trade unions, and international trade unionism particularly, is a democratic, inclusive and diverse movement – we are proud of this and proud of the fact that we are expressing this. We will also use our Congress to demonstrate the unity and solidarity of the workers’ movement in its mission of achieving decent work and working conditions for transport workers in response to the large, global, trends, and we will demonstrate our unity and solidarity in our campaign for a fair and just Europe where all workers, groups and communities are treated with respect and dignity.

We both very much look forward to the coming days of debate and discussion to construct the policies and strategies to achieve these common goals.

All Aboard: Destination Fair Transport!

– ETF President, Frank Moreels & ETF Acting General Secretary, Livia Spera

Who, what, when and where?

The 6th European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) Ordinary Congress will take place from 24 to 27 May 2022 in Budapest, Hungary, bringing together transport trade union delegates and external guests from international and national institutions.

As the highest decision-making body of the ETF, Congress provides the constitutional framework for our members to debate and decide the ETF’s political priorities for the next 5-year mandate.

Over 500 delegates representing 5 million transport workers from across Europe will discuss strategies actions and address how to face the current and the upcoming challenges in the transport sector in a way that ensures a social future in solidarity for all.

They will also vote for their political representatives: the ETF President, the ETF General Secretary, and its governance bodies: the Executive Committee and the lay auditors.

Why Budapest?

The trade union movement in Hungary is facing difficult times with the current anti-union climate and a government that weakens our movement and threatens fundamental worker, trade union, human and civil rights.

What better way to show unity and solidarity as a progressive working-class movement than to bring together trade union delegates from all over Europe at the ETF Congress in Budapest:

This is how we choose to valorise the day-to-day work and the resilience and strength of our Hungarian trade unions in their everyday fight for Hungary’s transport workers.

Our congress is a forum to express our democratic, inclusive, anti-populist trade union message – a concrete example of the inclusive power of trade unionism.

Fair Transport is a destination:

• Where transport workers are at the core of decisions affecting them
• Where transport is free of profit-led exploitation and unfair competition
• With quality jobs and inclusive workplaces
• With safe, reliable and affordable transport services for customers
• Where social and environmental sustainability goes hand in hand

Our vision is a future destination that will continue to guide the work of the ETF.

WIZZ AIR RALLY

Monday 23 May 2022

As Europe’s aviation unions continue to fight the race to the bottom in aviation, we will share our solidarity with them and the workers of Wizz Air at a demonstration outside the Hungarian Parliament. Together, with our transport trade unions from all over Europe, we will show Wizz Air that we will not stand for the injustices toward their crew!

WE ARE ALL EQUALly DIFFERENT

Diversity and Inclusivity Event – Monday 23 May 2022

The ETF will use its 6^th Ordinary Congress in Budapest as an occasion to engage the broader Hungarian and European public and bring attention to the inherent diversity and inclusivity of the international trade union movement. This decision comes in light of the rise of right-wing populism throughout Europe

Trade unionism, and particularly international trade unionism, is inherently diverse and inclusive as a movement. Our event will be a celebration of diversity, in all its forms, and of transport workers.

Photos

Flickr

Contact

Don’t hesitate to contact congress@etf-europe.org for any questions about registrations.

Press

For press inquiries and registration, please get in touch with Begüm Boynukalin: b.boynukalin@etf-europe.org and Dana Berinde: d.berinde@etf-europe.org.