As part of its commitment to sustainable development, and for the sake of improved quality of life and work and a society of greater solidarity, ETUC is supporting European Mobility Week 2004.

Workers and their representatives in companies are increasingly calling for being involved in the drafting of company mobility plans which will, in particular, include the journeys made by workers commuting to and from work.

At the sectoral and country levels, unions are putting forward solutions to reduce the inconveniences associated with the uncontrolled development of transport options, particularly on the roads, which take account of the constraints inherent in the organisation of work in these economic sectors and the need to promote a balance between the development of employment and its quality, the preservation of the environment and economic effectiveness.

The ETUC position

The European trade unions are convinced that organising more environmentally friendly types of transport at the level of companies can also deliver health benefits for workers and improve the quality of the working environment. In addition, such transport can generate economic benefits for the company and promote the creation of jobs in alternative transport and new functions such as mobility managers.

• For participative, fair company mobility plans

ETUC encourages the drafting of company mobility plans, provided that they offer an opportunity for workers’ representatives to be consulted and to participate in the drafting of the plans. The point is that it is important for mobility problems to be raised democratically and the solutions envisaged no less democratically. Mobility plans must not be the exclusive preserve of the transport experts (’mobility managers’) Provision must be made for the participation of the workers’ representatives by the national laws instituting transport plans in companies. In addition, such laws need to be adopted by all the countries in the European Union.

• For public investments in sustainable transport

ETUC is calling for substantial public investments to be ploughed into alternatives to car transport, in particular public transport. In a joint manifesto with the environmental and social NGOs, it has tabled proposals for a European initiative in favour of sustainable investment and in particular, sustainable transport.

• For innovative financing options

ETUC considers it necessary to develop innovative methods in terms of financial incentives for sustainable employee mobility. It supports the campaign launched by all the Italian trade unions with the environmental and social NGOs in favour of the introduction of ‘public transport vouchers’.

Members’ activities: Germany: DGB: promotion of best practices in terms of company mobility plans http://www.clever-pendeln.de

Italy: CISL-UIL-CGIL : http://docs.cisl.it/news/0211A70F-000F6BFF
Spain : CC.OO www.conc.es (CC.OO. of Cataluña)

Belgium :CSC http://www.csc-en-ligne.be/Actualite/Dossiers/Mobilite/CSC_et_mobilite.asp?pageid=tcm:22-47625-64