In Summary
European towns and cities often have extensive urban public transport networks, which use a variety of transport modes on the road and rails. Public transport is a solution for sustainable mobility, contributing to the fight against climate change, and it employs more than one million people. However, workers in the sector face threats from liberalisation and privatisation programmes. Social dumping in public transport is facilitated by the growing competition created by tendering of public transport services, some of which is encouraged by EU rules. New forms of work such as Uber are also undermining quality employment in urban public transport.
ETF’s Urban Public Transport Committee (UPTC) acts to defend the interests of public transport workers in Europe. We want to safeguard and improve their social rights in an evolving economic environment, which endangers both working conditions and the very existence of collective public transport. We work to promote public transport as a solution for sustainable mobility, reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.
Our trade union vision for sustainable urban mobility means improved safety for both passengers and workers, and a coherent social strategy for the future of public transport in the era of decarbonization, digitalisation and automation.
Latest news
View allEU Land Transport Labour Market: A Critical Examination of Trends and Policy Implications
Two years ago, the ETF launched a project to look in more detail at the roots of the above trends. Three reports – on road, rail and urban public transport were developed within the frame of the project to cast light on how liberalisation and market-opening policies led to undesirable effects that put at stake the very goals and objectives set by the same policymakers.
Standing still in Solidarity: Workers in the Transport Sector Call for Safer Working Conditions
Across the Netherlands on Saturday, trams, buses, metros, and trains came to a standstill for a few minutes. This pause was not due to technical issues or scheduling conflicts; rather, a symbolic protest the rising tide of violence faced by transportation workers. It’s a call to action by trade unions and companies to ensure a safer working condition. The national railways (NS) along with most public transport companies all stopped for three minutes on Saturday night at 10.30pm.
ETF, CER and UITP Joint Statement on EU Economic Governance Reform
ETF, UITP and CER issued a joint statement, highlighting that achieving the EU’s ambitious climate goals, particularly those related to transport emissions, hinges on significant investments in rail and urban public transport. The existing modal shift objectives established by the EU cannot be realistically achieved without a strong focus on these sectors.