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European transport trade unions said no to liberalization and to the unwarranted effects of the economic crisis on transport workers at a major conference last week

2 June 2009

The ETF 2009 Congress which brought together over 400 delegates from over 30 European countries, was held on 27-29 May in Ponta Delgada, Azores, under the theme “Strong Unions for Sustainable Transport”.  Such timely issues as the promotion of a sustainable European transport system, building strong unions, European Sectoral Social Dialogue, and the recent European Court of Justice Rulings were debated. The outcome was a steadfast ETF commitment to an ambitious agenda for the 2009-2013 mandate. In addition to the subjects mentioned above, the Congress debated issues ranging from social dumping, to an appropriate trade union response to transport liberalization and privatization, to a charter for EU Seafarers, to combating racism and xenophobia against all workers, to an ETF wage policy for Europe. Beforehand, on 26 May the ETF Women’s Conference adopted a wide-ranging action plan on gender equality and elected Collette Parsons from the T&G Section of UNITE the Union (UK), as Chair of the ETF Women’s Committee.

The Congress elected a new ETF President, Graham Stevenson, national organiser at the T&G Section of UNITE the Union, (UK), thereby replacing Wilhelm Haberzettl.  Alexander Kirchner of Transnet (DE) and Brigitta Paas of FNV Bondgenoten (NL) were elected as Vice-Presidents and General Secretary Eduardo Chagas was re-elected for a second mandate. 

Congress effectively empowered the ETF and its affiliates to continue their struggle for the procurement of more favorable working conditions for transport workers in all sectors during the next mandate. Eduardo Chagas added, “This Congress was a success. Its outcomes will be instrumental in developing the ETF activities and policies in the forthcoming years. Congress made it clear that both policy makers and employers’ organizations will face a stronger ETF, which is committed to engage in a meaningful dialogue that can bring an added value to its members, but also ready to fight against all attempts to undermine their working and living conditions, and in particular pay and safety standards.”

ENDS

For more information please contact:

European Transport Workers' Federation
Rue du Marché aux Herbes 105, Boîte 11
B-1000 Bruxelles
Telephone: +32 (0)2 285 46 60
Fax: +32 (0)2 280 08 17
Email: etf@etf-europe.org

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