World Health Organization and International Labour Organization agree to form an Action Group to ensure implementation of COVID-19 protocols for transport workers. Crisis talks held as nations rush to unilaterally reinstate travel restrictions, following the emergence of the Omicron variant. Plans are underway to institute a ‘Yellow Card’ style covid vaccine document for international transport […]
December 13, 2021
World leaders’ knee-jerk reactions to the Omicron variant are putting transport workers and the global supply chain at greater risk of collapse, warn international transport organisations and unions representing road, air and sea transport. Cross-border transport workers including seafarers, air crew and drivers must be able to continue to do their jobs, and cross borders […]
December 3, 2021
Today the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) reiterates our strong request for seafarers and aviation workers to be prioritised by governments in their Covid-19 vaccination programmes. The ITF welcomes the joint statement from UN bodies last week supporting this position. Covid-19 and its impacts have been felt by none more acutely than transport workers and […]
March 29, 2021
New laws announced and adopted by the Government of Qatar represent a historic leap in the protection of migrant workers’ rights in the Gulf State. These new laws together with the removal of the exit permit system earlier this year effectively eliminates the kafala system of modern slavery. The latest labour reforms which include the […]
September 4, 2020
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
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
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
ITF Management Committee statement on protecting workers during and after the Covid-19 pandemic The battle against Covid-19 will not be won without transport workers, they are the lifeblood of the global economy and vital to successfully responding to the challenge of Covid-19. It is the train drivers, seafarers, cabin crew, taxi drivers, cleaners, ticket sellers, […]
April 28, 2020