ETF recommits to shaping future of transport and transport work

At the 6th Ordinary Congress of the European Transport Workers’ Federation in Budapest – an occasion to take stock of past work and decide on future priorities –  the ETF  recommits to its vision for Fair Transport.

Given the enormous challenges transport workers face in their everyday lives, their fight for health & safety, fair pay, decent working conditions, and dignity in general, it is now more important than ever to step up the fight, take initiative and face the ongoing and looming challenges head on:

• The rise of new, more exploitative models of logistics and distribution, spreading throughout the entire transport industry, and the precarious work it brings;
• Artificial intelligence, digitalisation and automation;
• The impacts of globalisation and changing economic trends, such as the shift of economic importance from USA to China to European countries, which will greatly affect; trade, transport and transport workers where monopolising mega-corporations increasingly dominate the industry;
•  The general precarious situation and lack of decent work, working conditions and rights for transport workers, while transport bosses make record profits.

These challenges and more will be given priority over the next five years, guided by the ETF’s vision for Fair Transport:

Fair transport is an inclusive vision for social, just, and environmentally sustainable transport, 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

It is inclusive of and actively supports young and women transport workers, black transport workers, migrant transport workers, transport workers of colour and ethnic minorities, LGBTQI+ transport workers, and transport workers with disabilities, both in the labour market and society.

The ETF will continue the fight for fair and decent working and social conditions throughout Europe and the strengthening of campaigning, organising and training support for our affiliates.

To this end, the work programme of the ETF will focus on the following three pillars for the next five years:

•  The ETF will shape the future of transport and transport work by responding and developing effective alternatives to the sectoral and cross-sectoral challenges within national and international policy;
• The ETF will proactively shape the future of the ETF through the continued development of strong and effective internal governance structures and functioning methods;
•  The ETF will develop itself, and act, as an industrial and organising force to revitalise the international workers’ movement by becoming a responsive, industrial and organising force facilitated by international exchange, action and solidarity at company, regional, national and international level.