World Toilet Day, marked every year on 19 November, is about inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.
Safe access to decent toilet facilities, sanitation systems, and most importantly the ability to use them when needed, is truly a global issue that is widely and deeply felt by all transport workers.
The global sanitation crisis affects nearly half of the world's population, but for transport workers – who keep our lives and economies moving – access to toilets and sanitation facilities is not a given. Inadequate or non-existent facilities are not just inconvenient; they are a threat to the dignity, safety, and health of these workers. This is a particular issue for women transport workers who face challenges that extend beyond health to issues of privacy and safety.
The lack of safe access to decent sanitation facilities is also effectively a barrier to employment in the sector.
Unions driving change
As part of this year’s World Toilet Day transport unions around the globe will be campaigning for the right to safe, clean, and accessible toilet facilities for their members. At the ITF’s recent Congress in Marrakech, many transport workers expressed concern and emphasised the urgency of this issue, calling on employers and governments to work with unions to bring about meaningful change.
Today, train driver’s union ASLEF in Great Britain launch their Dignity for Drivers report. General Secretary Mick Whelan highlighted the often dire conditions that train drivers face: “It cannot be right that train drivers are often left with no dignified or hygienic options for carrying out basic bodily functions,” he said. “Some train drivers choose not to drink tea, coffee or water – ‘deliberate dehydration’ – to avoid having to go to the toilet. Not maintaining good fluid levels has an effect on concentration, and harmful long-term effects on health.”
In Canada, Unifor has taken significant steps to address these challenges. Scott Bateman, Road Transportation Director for Unifor Canada reported that their union works with the government and lobbies directly with hotels and restaurants to make toilets available to road transportation drivers. Unifor is also in negotiation with warehousing companies to ensure that if a facility is constructed, there are discussions with the unions to avoid a situation where there are only two bathrooms for over 150 workers.
These are just some examples of unions taking a stand.
Since launching the Transport Workers’ Sanitation Charter in 2019 and the Sanitation Rights Toolkit in 2022, the ITF has supported affiliates in campaigning for the right to proper sanitation, empowering unions to demand that employers provide decent sanitation facilities as a fundamental part of workplace safety.
On this World Toilet Day, the ITF calls on everyone—workers, employers, governments, and the public—to join us in demanding safe and clean toilets for transport workers. No worker should be forced to choose between their health and their job. Decent toilets are not a privilege; they are a fundamental human right.
Notes:
The ITF Transport Workers’ Sanitation Charter and Sanitation Rights Toolkit are available to support unions in advocating for sanitation rights and enforcing these demands with employers.
