Motions on issues spanning rights, climate action, Palestine and Israel all debated in key Congress session.
At the ITF Congress in Marrakech on 17 October, delegates united to push forward a series of critical motions addressing equality, sustainability, and workers' rights. Each motion reinforced the global labour movement’s commitment to fighting for justice and fairness across the transport sector.
Meryem Halouani (UMT), who moved the Executive Board motion ‘Equality for Transport Workers’ called on transport workers to rally behind the cause of equality, declaring, "Our unity is our strong weapon". She emphasised that the fight against exploitation, particularly for women and youth, and the importance of women’s active participation in unions: “Strong unions need women.”
This message was echoed by speakers like Cecilia de Fatima Rodrigues (Contmaff), who called for union solidarity to "stop discrimination now".
Delegates also turned their attention to another motion centred on the discrimination faced by LGBT+ workers, with Monica Meneiro (APA, Argentina) saying, "The ITF has a key role to play in combating discrimination in workplaces and society".
“This motion is personal to me - I know what it is like to not have that freedom. I still fight for it every day,” said Keturah Johnson of the AFA-CWA (USA). “Today, I stand here, living my truth, knowing that it is possible because I have the support of my union.”
Danny McGowan (Nautilus, UK) gave an emotive intervention explaining his nervousness of speaking to the very first motion on LGBT+ transport workers at the ITF Congress in Singapore, in 2018, when the issue was still controversial.
“We have made this a topic that can be spoken about without seeing division, we have not been afraid to develop our work,” he said. The motion was adopted unanimously.
Together, we can move the world forward for LGBT+ transport workers."
Disability rights were also front and centre as Simon Weller, from UK railway workers’ union ASLEF, underscored the need to eliminate barriers for disabled workers. He reminded Congress.
“We should ask ourselves, what is disability? There is a very neat legal definition, but it hides the simple truth that not all disabilities are visible,” he said.
Our disabled members deserve our respect. They deserve the respect of their employers.”
Weller called for breaking down barriers to recruitment, retention, and promotion for disabled workers, adding that “together with all our members, we will build that respect”.
With the climate crisis looming large, Frank Moreels, President of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and President of BTB-ABVV called for worker-led climate action.
Climate action must be worker-led...we must organise, mobilise, and demand better jobs, pay, and conditions."
Mariano Moreno (Argentina) spoke of the devastating impact of environmental destruction on workers in the Global South, and Kavan Gayle (BITU, Jamaica) delivered a call for immediate action: "We must act now to build a future where transport serves both people and the planet."
The ongoing war between Palestine and Israel was addressed with a powerful call for peace and solidarity. ITF President and National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, Paddy Crumlin underscored the ITF's long-standing commitment to justice and peace.
“This is an historic moment in the history of the ITF,” he said. “We have a long history of committing to justice, to a two-state solution, and to the establishment of a sovereign state of Palestine.”
Crumlin reaffirmed the federation’s resolve to stand with workers on both sides of the conflict, emphasising the need for humanitarian corridors and urging a unified response from ITF affiliates and the global labour movement.
The motion was carried by an overwhelming majority, showing the Congress’s commitment to peace and justice.
Peace was also central to an intervention from Hajime Takeuchi, President of Zenkoku-Kowan (Japan), which wants to ensure Japan retains its pacifist constitution.
“On the first Thursday of every month, we stand in front of railway stations and call for world peace and for abolishing the idea of using ports to support wars,” he said. “When a war starts, it is always workers, including transport workers, who become the victims. We will fight for peace.”
Finally, delegates reaffirmed their commitment to defending transport workers’ rights, particularly the right to strike.
"An injury to one is an injury to all," said Frank Moreels (BTB, Belgium), as speakers warned of the growing threats posed by far-right extremism and anti-worker laws. François Laporte (Teamsters Canada) cautioned delegates that, "Progressive laws can disappear," urging constant vigilance.
Ismo Kokko from AKT, Finland, highlighted how far-right forces and conservative governments are actively undermining workers’ rights across Europe.
"In Finland, the far-right came in second place, and together with the conservatives, they are rewriting our labour laws," he said, describing how new legislation threatens the right to strike and weakens social protections.
They are attacking the core of what we have fought for – education, healthcare, the right to strike, and social security. But we won’t back down."
The Congress made clear that defending the right to strike is critical to the survival of workers' rights everywhere, reaffirming the ITF’s role in leading this fight on the global stage.
