Breakthrough to end kafala after new commitments from Qatar on workers’ rights (ituc-csi.org)

The International Trade Union Confederation welcomes the breakthrough from the Government of Qatar to end the kafala system of modern slavery, and plans further meetings with Qatar’s Labour Minister on implementing labour rights for two million migrant workers in the Gulf State. “The new guidance from Qatar signals the start of real reforms in Qatar […]


October 26, 2017

A new resource for unions to fight TiSA

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) released a new report entitled, “All about TiSA: Everything you didn’t know about the Trade in Services Agreement”. Several Global Union Federations, including the ITF, provided a critical analysis of TiSA in relation to their own industries. The part on air transport was prepared by our Section. The report […]


November 15, 2016

Hundreds of US-based cabin crew face loss of welfare benefits as Cathay Pacific halts payments (scmp.com)

Hong Kong airline says that as a non-American company it is not eligible to make the contributions to social security and health insurance programmes Cathay Pacific faces unrest and deep discontent among its US-employed cabin crew after halting contributions to their social security and health insurance “medicare” programmes. As a result more than 400 people […]


October 26, 2016

Joint EI, PSI, EPSU, UNI, IUF & ITF press release: Time to stop the talks – TiSA negotiations must be brought to a halt

Newly released Wikileaks documents make it clear that the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is no more than a corporate power grab and that negotiations must be stopped. The documents can be seen at https://wikileaks.org/tisa The wide scope of the deregulatory agenda and attack on democratic governance has been exposed. The EU is attempting to […]


October 14, 2016

Qatar World Cup: FIFA Announcement on Monitoring of “Decent Working Conditions” (ituc-csi.org)

The announcement by President of FIFA that it will establish an oversight body to monitor working conditions on World Cup stadium sites in Qatar shows that FIFA is beginning to take responsibility for those whose work is essential to the holding of the 2022 event. The announcement on FIFA’s website says “…The hosting of the […]


April 25, 2016

Why so many shipowners find Panama’s flag convenient (bbc.co.uk)

Panama, a small nation of just three million, has the largest shipping fleet in the world, greater than those of the US and China combined. Aliyya Swaby investigates how this tiny Central American country came to rule the waves. (…) Cheaper foreign labour Most merchant ships flying Panama’s flag belong to foreign owners wishing to […]


April 11, 2016

ITF statements of solidarity following Belgium terror attacks

To our colleagues in Belgium, Today your country and its people were attacked by terrorists who targeted the users and workers of your nation’s transport systems. The attacks were cruel, deplorable and abhorrent to anyone who believes in decency, humanity and justice. I can assure you that all of us throughout the ITF global family […]


March 22, 2016

Video: TPP = Corporate Power Tool of the 1%

The following video spot has been produced by the Global Trade Watch (GTW) as part of its campaign to stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). GTW is a division of Public Citizen, the national, non-profit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971. The Global Trade Watch division was created in 1995 to promote government and corporate accountability […]


March 16, 2016