The ITF is urging all its unions to participate in two major initiatives to promote gender equality and eliminate violence against women in the workplace, which the federation launched on International Women’s Day (8 March).

Speaking today, International Women’s Day, Diana Holland, chair of the ITF’s (International Transport Workers’ Federation’s) women transport workers’ committee, said: “The 8th of March isn’t just an occasion of celebration, resistance and diversity, it’s also a time to point to achievements and growth. The ITF and its unions stand proud in working with women transport workers making workplaces better, safer and more representative.”

The father of a cabin crew worker who died, his family believes, from an illness caused by breathing in toxic air on aeroplanes is to meet cabin crew from more than 40 different countries in London.

Unions backing 43 dockers sacked in Madagascar are demonstrating at the country’s embassies in three continents worldwide this week – as well as sending messages of protest.

Activists from ITF civil aviation unions meet in London this week to set out their plans for the future of the industry.

The Government of Madagascar is the target of a global campaign launched today (28th February) to defend dockworkers at the ICTSI operated Port of Toamasina in Madagascar. The campaign by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) will see protests outside of Madagascan embassies across three continents. Steve Cotton, ITF General Secretary said this was the first action in an ongoing campaign to get 43 dock workers reinstated after they were sacked for being members of a union.

Burkina Faso road workers ended a planned three-day strike early after winning promises of government action on road security and the extension of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

The ITF and its member unions ver.di, the SUR (Seafarers’ Union of Russia) and MTWTU (Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine) are calling for a fast but reasoned response to the kidnapping of eight crew members of the BBC Caribbean in the Gulf of Guinea. The seafarers – seven Russians and a Ukrainian – were taken off the cargo ship by pirates and are believed to be being held hostage in Nigeria.

The ITF is urging its unions to support its newly-launched LabourStart solidarity campaign for thousands of unfairly fired dockworkers in Nigeria.

The first woman train driver in the Arab World and Africa, according to her trade union the UMT, has hit the age of 50 at which all Morocco’s train drivers have to retire.

The ITF (International Transport Workers is giving a warm welcome to the major new Maritime Labour Convention provisions on crew abandonment that come into force tomorrow.

An ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) inspector has issued a last ditch call to a ship owner and its flag state to act to stop the suffering of a 17-strong crew abandoned in Algeria.