Rail Sector Social Dialogue appoints new Chair and Vice-Chair, and agrees work programme for 2018-19 Rail Sector Social Dialogue appoints new Chair and Vice-Chair, and agrees work programme for 2018-19
On Friday 1 December, the railway social partners, the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) and the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), gathered for the annual plenary meeting of the Rail Sectoral Social Dialogue.
The social partners gave a boost to European Social Dialogue in rail by committing to a work programme for the next two years (2018-2019). CER and ETF decided to adopt a work programme that addresses ongoing trends and challenges facing the rail sector, with a specific attention to rail freight transport in the EU. During the next programming period, they will carry out joint activities on safety, employability, digitalisation and integration of women.
The Plenary was also the occasion to have an exchange with the European Commission about the ongoing revision of the Train Drivers Directive, which is based on the 2004 CER-ETF binding agreement on a ‘European license for drivers carrying out a cross border interoperability service’.
During the Plenary meeting, Giorgio Tuti, President of the ETF Railway Section (workers) was appointed as President of the Sectoral Social Dialogue for Railways, taking turns with Matthias Rohrmann (Agv MoVe/ Deutsche Bahn) (employers), who was at the same time appointed for the role of Vice-President.
Chair of the CER Group of Human Resources Directors, Yves Baden said: “I am very glad that CER and ETF managed to endorse the new social dialogue work programme for the next two years. We are looking forward to continuing our good social partnership, in order to allow the sector to thrive, and develop its activities in a fast-evolving environment, while maintaining and enhancing the attractiveness of the sector as an employer. I wish all the best to Giorgio Tuti for his new mandate and I would like to thank Matthias Rohrmann for his commitment over the period that is coming to a close. During this period, rail social partners achieved good results, including the Rail Freight Declaration signed in 2015, the project on the attractiveness of the sector as an employer and inputs to the legislative process leading to the adoption of the Fourth Railway Package.”
ETF Railway Section President, Giorgio Tuti said: “I thank the European social partners at both sides for my election as President of the SSDC for the rail sector and their trust. For me it is very important that we adopted an ambitious work program with the right and relevant priorities. Among others we want to improve women employment in rail also by making a step towards negotiations and we want to analyse the impact of certain human factor elements on railway safety in an open and competitive European railway market. Safety is a strength, an asset of the railway sector and as social partners we have our responsibility to contribute to maintaining this strength.”