by Paolo Lauzzana | Apr 3, 2023 | News
On the past 21st of March, our adjunct Secretary and train driver, Laura Pantone, represented ALE at the first stakeholder conference regarding the means on how to mitigate the disruptive effects of automation within the transport sector, including the role of train drivers of tomorrow.
The theme is brought out by the EU Commission in the “Smart & Sustainable Mobility Strategy for 2030”, where there is clearly stated the political intention to fully implement by 2030 the so-called ATO – Automated Train Operations, without going into details and explaining what it really means from an operative standpoint. Furthermore, an EU recommendation on how to mitigate the impact on the workforce was promised, but only now, EU Commission has done the first steps to really develop it.
These stakeholder conferences have the objective to develop a complete EU recommendation on the theme to further develop, maybe, in EU binding regulations. This process is fundamental since the transport sector is basically the first sector to undergo massive automation in 2030. If not properly addressed, there is the severe possibility of massive unemployment in the long term.
ALE´s position is very clear on the matter. Firstly, we need in-depth and accurate preliminary research on the impact of these measures: for ALE, the actual impact assessment study on the workforce is not sufficient to take an informed decision. Secondly, the EU Commission, Institutions and Authorities must accompany the process with binding rules for RUs, to avoid collective layoffs. Thirdly, more specific rules and conditions must apply to the broader “upskilling & reskilling”, to ensure the same level of employment and the same level of professional training. All this taking into account the importance of ensuring safety as a fundamental pillar in the development of digital tools in relation to the driving of railway vehicles.
The journey towards a fully ATO-implemented technology and complete regulations on the matter is still long. We are still in an embryonal state, and ALE´s contribution will be crucial for a proper evolution in the next 10 years.
ALE is an organization representing more than 50.000 train drivers in Europe and the expertise we exchange within every forum will surely enhance the correct development of the EU regulations.
by Paolo Lauzzana | Nov 29, 2022 | News
Once again, the crucial relevance of the railways as one of the strategic means of transport of a nation becomes striking, connecting its territories and structuring it internally. Our Ukrainian colleagues are living in a very difficult situation, immersed in a conflict in which there is still no end in sight.
According to the data collected in the article published in the magazine Venerdì on 18 November 2022, we have lost 271 railway colleagues to date due to this war and despite this sad reality, their commitment is so strong that trains continue to run in Ukraine with a punctuality (94%) that is astonishing compared to the European average (78.7%), carrying out an essential task for that country, moving 200 international delegations and bringing to safety four million citizens, 2000 wounded soldiers and 11,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid delivered to date. Not a single intercity has been cancelled since the start of the conflict on Europe’s third-largest railway, the seventh-largest in the world in terms of goods transported and the sixth in terms of passengers.
Our organisation (ALE) is following with apprehension the situation in which our fellow train drivers are plunged on a daily basis and we want to convey our support to them in the hope that we will soon be able to carry out new humanitarian aid initiatives with the active collaboration of our member unions.
We renew our feeling of closeness to our Ukrainian train drivers’ colleagues, which makes us feel like an essential collective for our countries, in the hope that this conflict will end as soon as possible.
by Alejandro Martínez Treceño | Nov 23, 2022 | News
The past November 18th, representatives from ALE attended the 2nd meeting on the revision of the European Directive for Certification of Train Drivers 2007/59/CE, both physically and remotely.
As a Federation of several European train drivers´ unions, we are/were able to put on the table the differences between Member States and propose a common solution.
Our organization was presented as a key stakeholder in the railway sector, directly involved in this revision. Although we are somewhat aligned in maintaining high standards of safety and training, unfortunately we still detected points of misunderstanding in the railway sector and the train drivers’ profession from the point of view of other organizations.
ALE left clear its position about the guidelines this revision should follow, in order to enhance the safety, reliability and efficiency of our job and the railway sector in general.
Furthermore, ALE stressed the importance to listen to train drivers’ feedback in order to achieve the milestones included in the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Plan.
In any situation involving a reduction of requirements in relation to driver training, technical and management expertise we will not agree. The objectives of interoperability and mobility can be improved without workers bearing the burden of certain regulatory changes.
by Alejandro Martínez Treceño | Oct 6, 2022 | News
On 4 and 5 October, the 9th Congress of our organisation was held in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), bringing together train drivers from 13 different countries and the professional unions that represent them to work, debate and emerge stronger and more united.
CESI’s Secretary General opened the event with a speech highlighting the importance of ALE as a social partner in the European transport sector.
The member unions, aware that the challenges facing ALE in the coming years will be fundamental for the development of the profession of train drivers and the European railways, have decided to adopt a new set of internal organisational measures.
Despite the difficult times of recent years, the member unions have agreed on the good work of the Executive Presidency during its term of office and have demonstrated this by re-electing them again for the 2022-2026 term of office. In addition, the post of Secretary General has been created, which will give more impetus to the technical work we carry out with the European institutions.
The current process of revising the Directive on the Certification of Train Drivers was one of the main issues discussed, as well as the concern about the high average age of train drivers in Europe and the need to make this profession attractive to young people, which requires adequate working and social and economic conditions and the guarantee that safety standards are not lowered, but increased.
by Alejandro Martínez Treceño | Jun 22, 2022 | News
Safety Culture and European Social Dialogue were the main topics of the meeting we held this morning with the President and representatives of the European Air Traffic Controllers’ Union (ATCEUC – www.atceuc.org).
This meeting, between European trade union organizations of professionals on whom safety has a considerable impact, responds to the need to join forces in order to achieve common objectives in our sector. The current railway liberalization and the unbalanced transposition of the 4th Railway Package among the member States, as well as the lack of railway operations after the Covid 19 pandemic, which are causing a fall in railway jobs, where there is already a high average age, have been topics discussed during this morning.
The need to provide accident and incident Investigation Bodies with independence and human and economic resources to make transport safer and more reliable, to work in a preventive way, and to look for the causes in order to propose solutions was highlighted.
We will continue to work hand in hand to share experience, work against labor and social dumping in our sector, and carry out joint proposals.
by Alejandro Martínez Treceño | Jun 2, 2022 | News
On the 31 of May and 1 of June ALE celebrated his board meeting in the perfect context of Rome. At the event participated all the European members involved in the activities of ALE at EU level. The European Year of Rail 2021 has come to an end and we could discuss and assess most of the statements and initiatives produced at the EU and national level related to boosting railways in order to reach the Green Deal target.
ALE considers that there is still a long way to go to achieve these goals and claims that the different organizations and Member States have to get more involved. In some countries, the railways have experienced a setback. There cannot be two railways in Europe moving at two different speeds.
After the pandemic, international cross-border and national trains have still not recovered from previous rates in several Member States. It should be a demand of the Union towards them, considering also the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) tool set up for this purpose. This situation has led to a worsening of working conditions such as employment rights, workplaces, lower levels of wages and unfair competition practices in some countries. We are working actively at EU and national level to return to previous standards of service and quality in the train drivers sector and railway workers.
ALE is aware of the importance of rail interoperability as a key element of union, development and prosperity. Work on the standardization and implementation of important issues such as ERTMS or the application of the train driver’s directive equally in all countries. Up to now, there have been widely differing interpretations in the individual countries for obtaining a train driver’s license. There must be common criteria and provisions, which would equalize safety and quality standards in each Member State.
Ultimately we want to send all our support to Ukraine, to its citizens, and the train drivers and railways workers in particular. All the members of ALE are collaborating with them from different lines and in first person our Polish, Hungarian and Czech colleagues. The great and unceasing work that the Ukrainian train drivers and railwaymen are doing, under extreme conditions of war to provide their compatriots with survival and subsistence conditions, demonstrates the European spirit of our collective.
