European Citizens Initiative calls for fair transport in Europe

The initiative, which was publicly launched on 28 September, puts forward seven concrete proposals the EC can take to improve working conditions and secure fair competition for law-abiding businesses in the different transport sectors. It follows a campaign meeting earlier this month.

The ETF – the ITF’s European arm – is supporting the initiative and the collection of signatures.

Campaigners say that fair transport is about fair working conditions and fair competition, as well as about safety for consumers and passengers. They argue that many of the 11 million transport workers in Europe are forced into deplorable working and living conditions because of insufficient or poorly implemented EU legislation or unfair business practices.

Lars Lindgren, representative of the Citizens’ Initiative Fair Transport Europe and ETF president, said: “We want to turn around the race to the bottom. Most of our challenges can only be solved in cooperation between the different EU institutions and national levels and in cooperation between transport workers and responsible employers. With this initiative we want to contribute to a better and more constructive dialogue on how to resolve the challenges faced by transport workers across Europe.

“Fair transport is an issue for the European general public. As long as we cannot send an apple, a pair of shoes or ourselves by email, Europe needs qualified transport workers with proper working conditions.”

The Citizens’ Committee and its partners will collect at least one million signatures across Europe before 14 September 2016, as required by the European Commission.

Sign the petition on Fair Transport Europe.