10 Oct 2005 -
International Road Transport Action Week 2005

In Luxembourg, prior to the Action Week, on 6 October 2005, OGB-L, LCGB, FNCTTFEL and FCPT mobilised their members in an ETF (European Transport Workers' Federation) demonstration in Kirchberg where the European Union Transport Ministers were meeting.

Unions still feel that professional driver fatigue is one of the main causes for numerous road accidents.  More and more commercial road haulage companies adopt a "just-in-time" system to maximise their profit.  With increased competition from the Eastern European states, many drivers continue to ignore the maximum driving hours legislation. Together with the other European transport unions, OGB-L, LCGB, FNCTTFEL and FCPT are demanding:

• a swift conversion of the Work Time Directive 2002/15 in all European Union member states
• an improvement of the existing regulation 3820/85
• efective ways to penalise those companies who offend the laws
• development of sufficient on-the-road rest areas for professional drivers

More actions are planned by the unions in Europe next week, together with the ITF's European arm, the ETF.