ITF and Qatari government continue talks under the ILO technical cooperation programme

An ITF delegation, led by ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton, visited Qatar last week to hold discussions with top officials to set a framework for the implementation of the common objectives An ITF delegation, led by ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton, visited Qatar last week to hold discussions with top officials to set a framework […]


March 12, 2018

ILO decision heralds new era for workers rights in Qatar (gulf-times.com)

The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) decision to close the complaint against Qatar, following the government’s commitments to dismantle the kafala system , signals a new era for workers’ rights in the country. “Qatar has set a new standard for the Gulf States, and this must be followed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE where millions […]


November 9, 2017

ITF applauds ‘historic breakthrough’ on Qatar kafala

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) has backed what it describes as “a historic breakthrough” on eliminating Qatar’s kafala system, which has allowed the exploitation of migrant workers in the Gulf state. Following years of international campaigning against kafala – a form of indentured labour that in practice has equated to often slavelike treatment of […]


October 30, 2017

ITF and Qatari government continue talks with aim of safeguarding transport workers’ rights

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) have begun a new round of talks with the Qatari government’s Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the rights of transport workers in Qatar. They are the latest stage of a process begun via initial discussions between the Ministry and the ITF in 2016. In the […]


October 20, 2017

ECJ ruling is ‘defeat for Ryanair and victory for workers’ rights’

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) and ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation) have welcomed a ruling today by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) as a major defeat for Ryanair on workers’ rights. The Court established that disputes over a cabin crew member’s contract of employment fall within the jurisdiction of the courts of the […]


September 14, 2017

Seven European pension schemes ditch Ryanair stock (Financial Times)

Seven European pension schemes overseeing nearly €300bn of assets have pulled their investments in Ryanair due to concerns about high-profile labour disputes involving the budget airline. Denmark’s largest pension fund, ATP, and Folksam, the Swedish retirement scheme, are among the large investors that have sold their holdings in Ryanair at a time of growing concern […]


May 9, 2017

ATCEUC and ETF stand together against attacks on ATM workers’ rights

“Workers and employers, or their respective organisations, have, in accordance with Community law and national laws and practices, the right to negotiate and conclude collective agreements at the appropriate levels and, in cases of conflicts of interest, to take collective action to defend their interests, including strike action” – Article 28 of the EU Charter […]


February 15, 2017

Abbassi calls on Arab airlines to respect trade union work (tdailynews.net)

Secretary General of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), Houcine Abbassi has called on Arab airlines to respect trade union work and give their employees all their rights. Speaking Monday in Sousse at the opening of an international conference on “The organisation of trade union work in airports”, held by International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) […]


August 2, 2016