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Urban Transport

Strengthening the heart of our cities by ensuring public transport is a public good.

The ITF’s Our Public Transport (OPT) programme is based on principles of social and climate justice.

 

We want to see public ownership, strong labour standards and democratic participation for workers and passengers in public transport systems worldwide. Equality for women, young and informal workers is at the heart of the programme. View our videos from the programme.

ISSUES

From building industrial strength to campaigning for public ownership, ITF and our affiliated unions are committed to safe and just workplaces for urban transport workers.

In the face of privatisation and deregulation, the growth of multinational companies in passenger transport and new forms of work, urban transport unions are making change happen.

The impacts of Covid-19 on workers and services in public transport mean linking immediate issues with long-term structural change, based on sustainable long-term funding, just transitions, worker-led formalisation, gender responsive workplaces and services, and the democratic governance of public transport which involves workers and passengers in decision-making.

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WHAT WE DO

The ITF’s Our Public Transport programme:

  • Campaigns to improve labour standards for all public transport workers, and in particular informal transport workers. We do this by increasing industrial power; building union networks in multinational companies; developing alliances with passengers, communities and other organisations; and negotiating the transition from informal to formal work.
  • Focuses on target cities to strengthen the voice of workers in the development of new public transport systems, including bus rapid transit (BRT) and metro, while promoting women and youth employment in the sector.
  • Promotes a social model of public transport – one built on public ownership, public investment, decent work, gender equality, worker control of technology, and climate justice.
WHERE WE FOCUS

The People’s Public Transport Policy provides a worker vision of public transport that is accessible, affordable, efficient, reliable, safe, clean and integrated with a city-wide network of buses, trains, metro, ferries, taxis and trams, including cycling and walking options. The policy looks at the impacts of new technologies like electric buses, increased surveillance and the automation of ticketing, and shares union responses. It also gives recommendations for sustainable and socially just public transport funding.

Our work on buses focuses on the impact of new bus rapid transit (BRT) systems as they are introduced in cities of the global south. While policymakers promote BRT as a win-win solution, we support informal workers displaced by these systems to develop alternative models of worker-led formalisation. Informal workers need to be sure of a just transition to a future of decent work.

Our work on metro focuses on ensuring that major public transport investment benefits workers and passengers rather than corporate interests. New and legacy metro systems should be publicly owned and democratically accountable, characterised by decent work and equality between different occupational groups.

The ITF has teamed up with C40 Cities and other partners to launch The Future is Public Transport campaign. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are calling on governments and international institutions to prioritise public transport. Together, by investing in and shifting traffic to public transport, we can both drive economic recovery and combat climate change.

ON THE GROUND
On the ground
The latest news on the issues affecting us all, and the actions we’re taking to improve our workers' lives and futures.
We're driving change
TRANSPORT CONNECTS US
KEEPING OUR CITIES MOVING
Explore Resources
Resources

Metro Workers' Charter

This Metro Workers’ Charter articulates key priorities that must form the cornerstone of a renewed and efficient metro sector, focussed on providing a quality public service, fighting inequalities and
Resources

Istanbul Accord on Union Organising in the Metro Sector

On 28-29 November 2023, trade unions of workers in metro systems around the world have met in Istanbul, Türkiye. Representing workers from Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, the Arab World and
Resources

Invest In Public Transport. Invest In Our Future.

This statement has been agreed by organisations representing leaders of some of the largest cities, international climate initiatives, transport authorities and operators, supply-chain businesses
OUR PEOPLE

The ITF Urban Transport Steering Committee brings together representatives of formal and informal workers from all public transport modes. As well as women and youth leaders, it includes trade-unionists from all world regions and a diverse range of backgrounds.

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DIRECTOR

Alana Dave

 

MANAGERS

James Bartholomeuz
Bruno Dobrusin

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SECTION COMMITTEE

Dirk Schlömer

Chair of the ETF urban public transport committee

Vivian Acosta.

SNTT
,
Colombia
Women Transport Workers’ Representative

John Mark Mwanika

ATGWU
,
Uganda
ITF Urban Transport Committee Chair

C A Rajasridhar

AIRF
,
India
Vice Chair (Rail)

Jas Giri

RMTU
,
New Zealand
Youth Representative for Urban Transport
Committee members

Shiva Gopal Mishra

AIRF
,
India
Member committee

Gora Khouma

URS
,
Senegal
Vice Chair

Toshihiko Sumino

SHITETSU-SOREN
,
Japan
Member committee

John Samuelsen

TWU
,
United States of America

Astrid Konig

Kommunal
,
Sweden
Regional representative

José Antonio Naranjo Burcio

CCOO
,
Spain
Member committee

John Lyons

ATU, Unisted States od America
ATU,

Antoaneta Stoimenova

FTTUB
,
Bulgaria
Member committee

Khadija Maagli

UMT
,
Morocco
Member committee

Shayne Kummerfeld

RTBU
RTBU, Brazil

Andreas Schackert

Ver.di
Ver.di, Germany

Len Poirier

UNIFOR, Canada

Nelson Montfort

CGT
,
France
Member committee

Dan Mihadi

TAWU
,
Kenya
Member committee

Vacant

Vice Chair

Francisco Mora

SNTT
,
Colombia
Member committee

Robert Morton

UNITE
,
Great Britain