The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) has issued a letter of congratulations to the newly elected Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), Mme. Elissavet Vozemberg, including a strong call to push for policy shifts to address the ongoing crises in the transport sector.
In a formal letter calling for close cooperation with the Chair and the whole Committee, ETF General Secretary Livia Spera outlined the analysis and demands contained in the Manifesto that the Federation adopted ahead of the EU elections. Central to these demands is the need to put workers at the core of EU transport policies, notably to reverse the severe labour shortage crisis that is currently plaguing the sector.
“The TRAN Committee has a crucial role to play in this and should dedicate a part of its activities to re-centre EU policy on workers”, said the ETF GS – adding that “this can only be done through continual dialogue with the ETF, which is the voice of five million workers in all transport modes”.
For the ETF, the starting point should be reassessing transport policies and their impact over transport sectors and its workers, on the modal shift, on infrastructure development and on governance of transport systems.
“We need an industrial policy for transport that makes the sector attractive to workers again,” the letter continues.
As for social protection, the ETF called for strong labour legislation and effective enforcement methods tailored to the specificities of transport, especially in the case of highly mobile workers operating across borders.