Women in public transport – ground-breaking agreement

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) representing 18 million transport workers and UITP (International Association of Public Transport) have signed a joint agreement to strengthen women’s employment in public transport.

The two parties will now work with unions and employers to implement the agreement in pilot cities, with an announcement of the first city expected later this year.

The practical recommendations for policies to strengthen women’s employment, equal opportunities and promote decent work cover nine areas: working culture and gender stereotypes, recruitment, work environment and design, facilities (including sanitation), health and safety at work, work-life balance, training, pay equality and corporate policy.

Diana Holland, chair of the ITF women transport workers’ committee, said: “This ground-breaking agreement will transform lives for the better across our world. Public transport is vital for us all. We know that when you improve women’s employment in public transport, you improve public transport for everyone. That is why the recommendations in this agreement are so important; every worker and every passenger will benefit from their implementation. This agreement is the first step – we now need action.

“Public transport workers and employers need to work closely to implement the agreement to lead to real change. That’s why we are working with UITP, and together we’ll identify pilot cities to implement the agreement and create a public transport system that everyone deserves, and that actively includes women.”

Cécile Sadoux, head of people management at UITP, said : “Women’s participation within the sector should not only be promoted, but actively celebrated, with strong institutional and top management support.

“We need to see changes and improvements in female participation rates from ‘onboard’ our vehicles to ‘on the board’ of management throughout our organisations.”

You can read and download a copy of the agreement: https://www.itfglobal.org/en/reports-publications/itfuitp-positive-employer-gender-policy

ENDS

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is a democratic global union federation of 665 transport workers trade unions representing over 18 million workers in 147 countries. The ITF works to improve the lives of transport workers globally, encouraging and organising international solidarity among its network of affiliates. The ITF represents the interests of transport workers' unions in bodies that take decisions affecting jobs, employment conditions and safety in the transport industry.

For the latest news from the ITF: https://www.itfglobal.org/news

UITP (The International Association of Public Transport) works to enhance quality of life and economic well-being by supporting and promoting sustainable transport in urban areas worldwide. As a passionate champion of sustainable urban mobility, UITP is internationally recognised for its work to advance the development of this critical policy agenda. UITP has a long history to its name, and is the only worldwide network to bring together all public transport stakeholders and all sustainable transport modes. Visit the UITP newsroom and follow them on Twitter.