ETF accelerates new campaign for Fair Transport in Europe

Nautilus is backing a new drive to combat social dumping, exploitation and unfair competition in the European transport industries.

The Union is taking part in the revitalised Fair Transport for Europe campaign being coordinated by the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF).

The new initiative – in which ETF-affiliated unions will be staging a series of protests, events and creative activities all over Europe – follows a petition to the European Commission (EC) in 2016. This petition attracted hundreds of thousands of signatures calling for the EC to put an end to the increase in abuses of workers' rights, non-compliance with existing legislation, and the loopholes in the laws which apply to the transport industry.

ETF general secretary Eduardo Chagas commented: 'We all know that business and politics happen at the European level. Workers must stand together across borders to protect themselves from exploitation. I'm looking forward to a year of engagement from ETF affiliates – culminating in a huge coordinated action week in spring 2019. From Brussels to Budapest, Lisbon to Ljubljana, we will be heard!'

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said: 'We welcome the ETF's decision to relaunch this important initiative to highlight the problems which plague workers in the transport industries – and in shipping in particular. The scale of abuses and resulting unfair competition is shocking and it is high time that we have effective action to eradicate exploitation and safeguard decent jobs and quality training.'

• Check out the Fair Transport Europe campaign website to see all the actions