Published 05 Oct, 2012
The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) and its member unions worldwide will hold a variety of activities from Oct. 7-13 to highlight issues linked to the slogan, “Transport Workers Fighting Back! Organising Globally!”
Road transport workers in both the passenger and freight sectors – who will be joined by others from rail and other transport unions – will be campaigning for safe and decent work and against the deregulation, privatization and liberalization that have drastically changed the road and railway industries over past decades. Belgium will hold an international demonstration on Oct. 9.
Among the countries in which unions are organizing events are Angola, Argentina, Barbados, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, India, France, Germany, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Pakistan, Russia, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, Turkey, USA, and Zimbabwe.
Events planned include rallies, border actions, information distribution, leafleting, approaches to governments and police, education activities, conferences and marches.
Key Dates for this action week:
October 7: World Day for decent Work. The ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation) and the Global Unions, including the ITF (TWU has sent two letters of support) demonstrate the importance of trade union solidarity in an increasingly globalized world economy. For more details click here.
October 9: European Transport Workers’ Federation ETF campaign for respect for professional drivers. They will hold a demonstration in the Place du Luxembourg, by the European Parliament in Brussels that is expected to attract transport trade unionists from across Europe. For more details click here and here.
October 9: Taxi Workers’ Day. This is a day to highlight the specific problems of taxi workers and to increase the level of trade union organization among them.
October 11: Solidarity Day. While the majority of unions will have no problems organizing their events during the action week, there remain countries where unions face bans and repercussions. In addition to highlighting local issues and demands, unions can show their support for those unions through solidarity action during the action week.
For more about the action week click here.