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The young workers’ programme of the ITF is dynamic and fast developing. It aims to organise activities to encourage young workers up to the age of 35 to become involved in the trade union movement, and to make the work of the ITF more relevant to young people by involving them in planning activities. 

Click here to watch an ITF film on progress to date

Its milestones so far are:

2006	Start at Congress in Durban
2007	Preparatory work throughout
2008	Launch of the programme and creation of Task Group First global Youth Conference Launch of the Brussels Declaration
2009	Endorsement through Executive Board and creation of Steering Committee Spread of the work in all Regions of the ITF worldwide
2010	42nd Congress in Mexico acknowledges the requests of the Youth steering group and changes it’s constitution to incorporate a Youth Committee, as a formal part of the ITF structure

Watch the Film: Be part of something Big!
An ITF film encouraging the active participation of young workers in transport unions.

Young workers: standing up for their rights

The young workers’ programme was set up after the last ITF congress in Durban, South Africa, held in 2006. There, the Mongolian Transport, Communications and Petroleum Workers’ Union a put forward a proposal calling on the ITF to organise activities to encourage more young people – workers up to the age of 35 – to become involved in the trade union movement. The aim of the project is to make the work of the ITF more relevant to young people by involving them in planning activities. This website, along with the creation of a task group of young trade unionists, is part of this initiative.

To find out more about the ITF’s work with young people, email: young@itf.org.uk

The young workers’ website

The website features a young workers blog with postings on workplace problems that young workers face as well as information on topics identified as big issues for young people by trade unionists who responded to an ITF survey. These include:

• wages and a two-tier workforce – young workers can often be paid less than older workers, creating two levels of pay depending on age; young workers are also more likely than older workers to receive the minimum wage
  
  
• precarious work – work undertaken by young people can lack job security as they are more likely to be employed on a temporary basis, especially if work is outsourced
  
  
• trade union rights – many young workers may not be unionised particularly if they are employed on a casual or temporary basis, which means they won’t be able to exercise their trade union rights
  
  
• organising, campaigning, education – young people are the future of the trade union movement so it is important that they are educated about the labour movement and are organised into trade unions.