ILO, IMO and ICAO urge governments to act on crew change, ‘key worker’ status

The leaders of the world’s highest maritime, aviation and labour authorities have issued a joint statement calling on governments to facilitate maritime crew changes and designate the millions of workers in critical transport industries through the present pandemic as ‘key workers’. Fang Liu (International Civil Aviation Organization), Kitack Lim (International Maritime Organization) and Guy Ryder […]


May 28, 2020

IFAIMA, IFATCA, IFATSEA and ITF joint statement on Air Navigation Services

During these trying times our four organisations would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families of those who lost a loved one to the pandemic. We express our sincere sympathies to those affected by the virus and the measures in place to combat the spread, and share everyone’s concerns with regards to the […]


May 21, 2020

Women transport workers’ rights and COVID-19

Transport workers together for a gender equal new normal The transport industry is highly gendered, and whilst all transport workers are being severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be specific and additional impacts for women transport workers. As the International Labour Organization (ILO) has recognised, the challenges arising out of this crisis have […]


May 20, 2020

ITF demands safe airports for workers and passengers

The COVID-19 pandemic has exaggerated, not created the issues airport workers are facing today, such as the fragmentation of the industry, subcontracting and outsourcing of labour to precarious workers. As a result of this crisis, many workers have lost their livelihoods with no recompense for being laid-off, regardless of how long they have served the […]


May 19, 2020

ITF backs call for equality at Turkish Airlines

Aviation union Hava-Is is demanding that Turkish Airlines stops discriminating against certain groups of workers in its response to Covid-19. Earlier this year, as the Covid-19 pandemic began to spread westwards to Turkey, around 2,500 Turkish Airlines workers volunteered for unpaid leave to help the company maintain financial stability. Workers agreed to these exceptional arrangements […]


May 11, 2020

Successful union campaign stops furloughs at United Airlines – for now

The ITF-affiliated International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ (IAM) campaign has managed to stop United Airlines’ scheme intending to force 15,000 full-time IAM members into part-time positions. The carrier, however, has left the door open to resuming its forced reduction to the part-time program. The IAM’s campaign against United Airlines’ unilateral decision captivated the […]


May 8, 2020

United Airlines labor harmony starts to unravel as biggest union looks to sue over cutbacks (forbes.com)

By Ted Reed Five years of labor-management harmony at United Airlines (UAL) could be dissipating as the carrier’s largest union says it is moving towards a suit charging that management illegally plans to furlough workers on May 24 after accepting a CARES Act grant that forbids furloughs before Oct. 1. The International Association of Machinists, […]


May 5, 2020

Podcast: Covid-19 and the ILO

In a fourth special show about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on working people, ITF legal director Ruwan Subasinghe has spoken to Maria Helena Andre, director of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) bureau for workers’ activities (ACTRAV). Maria Helena Andre talks about the ILO’s role during this crisis, the threat to the rights of […]


May 4, 2020