Open Letter to President Ursula von der Leyen: Europe’s transport system is unprepared — and workers are paying the price in International Shipping News 03/04/2026 The consequences of the Iran conflict and Gulf escalation are not an isolated geopolitical shock. They are yet another stress test that the European Union risks failing. Once again, Europe’s transport system is structurally unprepared. Transport workers are – again – at risk of bearing the consequences of the constantly deteriorating terms and conditions across the transport modes. There is no better excuse to cut down on labour and social rights than a crisis. This is the result of years of deliberate political choices that have triggered intra-EU competition based on cost-cutting, which exposed—rather than protected—European players to unfair international competition, which led to fragmented governance, and created dependence on third countries for passenger connectivity and freight services, instead of prioritising resilience, public investment, and quality jobs. Despite repeated commitments to preparedness, the EU failed to build the necessary tools to protect its transport system and workers in times of crisis. Short-term measures—subsidies, tax relief, and emergency support—are repeatedly used to contain immediate damage. While necessary, they do not address the underlying problem. Each crisis leaves the sector weaker, more fragile, and less attractive to workers. This trajectory is unsustainable. The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) calls on the European Commission to act immediately on three non-negotiable priorities: adopting binding, cross-sector crisis and safety frameworks for all transport sectors that include a strong worker dimension; guaranteeing that crises are not managed through downward pressure on jobs, wages, and working conditions; in consultation with social partners, come up with robust transport preparedness strategies that guarantee all necessary ingredients for resilient EU transport systems. To kick off this process, the EC should convene, without delay, a high-level roundtable to deliver a structural resilience strategy focused on long-term systemic change. Workers are on the frontline — EU protection is not Transport workers are systematically treated as an afterthought in crisis response, despite often being on the frontline. Airspace closures, sudden disruptions in routes and corridors and escalating security risks are no longer exceptional disruptions—they are becoming structural realities. Workers are expected to absorb these shocks in increasingly unpredictable and high-risk conditions. The EU must urgently establish binding and enforceable safety frameworks and contingency plans across all modes of transport, deploy real-time and coordinated risk assessment systems at the EU level, and ensure clear, harmonised crisis protocols that apply across borders and sectors, including for EU transport assets and workers beyond the EU borders. Failure to act will deepen staff shortages and further undermine the sector’s operational capacity. A recurring pattern: profits protected, workers exposed The current fuel crisis is following a familiar pattern. When operating costs rise, companies adjust rapidly by reducing operational capacities, reducing labour costs, and shifting risks onto workers. In aviation, airlines are already grounding fleets or preparing to do so, leading to reduced flying hours, loss of income, and increased job insec