Last week, young dockers and seafarers from across the globe came together in Cyprus for the ITF Maritime Roundtable – a space for young maritime trade unionists to learn, share and grow as leaders in our movement.
Across a packed programme of workshops, participants tackled the pressing issues facing maritime workers today — from data and AI, equality and the role of women in maritime, and safety and sustainability, to ITF’s Flags of Convenience and Flags of Non-Compliance campaigns, supply chain accountability, digital organising and campaigning, organising young workers, negotiating skills, and mental health and wellbeing.
The Roundtable was hosted by the Federation of Transport, Petroleum, and Agriculture Workers in Cyprus (FTPAW SEK) and brought together 178 delegates from 64 countries. For many, the highlight was the chance to connect with peers from every corner of the world. The bonds of solidarity forged in Cyprus will carry forward into unions, worksites, and communities worldwide.
“The Maritime Roundtable proves the power of bringing young workers together,” said Lorena Pintor Silva, ITF Seafarers’ Section Women Transport Workers’ Representative and member of SINDMAR, Brazil.
“We don’t just learn skills like campaigning, organising and negotiating – we build a collective spirit that makes us stronger as a movement.”
Pintor Silva underlined the importance of giving young workers the tools to lead change: “The challenges we face — from unsafe conditions to digital disruption — are global. That means our solidarity must be global too. Young workers are not waiting for tomorrow to lead. We are already leading today.”
As the next generation of maritime leaders return home, they bring back new knowledge, strategies, and determination to strengthen their unions.
“The message coming out of MRT was clear – young workers must be heard and empowered in our unions,” said Nick Loridan, ITF Young Transport Workers’ Committee Co-Chair and ITF Dockers’ Section Youth Co-Representative from Belgian dockers’ union BTB ABVV. “That means demanding seats at negotiation tables, shaping how AI, automation and decarbonisation affect us, and building unions that truly work for young workers.”
“We know that strong youth structures – formal committees, leadership roles, decision-making bodies in their unions – are essential not just as training grounds, but as engines that drive real change on the issues young workers face, as well as in next generation to lead on campaigning and collective bargaining.”
The ITF Maritime Roundtable is part of the federation’s commitment to empower young transport workers across all sectors, ensuring they have the skills, confidence and connections to carry the movement forward.
