Updates

Attention: ITF Affiliate Oversight Group (AOG)

Re: Allegations of sexual harassment against senior ITF officers and allegations of misogynistic culture within the ITF

I am the Full Time Officer with responsibility for Unite the Union at the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and I am writing to you in your capacity as members of the Affiliate Oversight Group (AOG) at the ITF.

Further to the Novara Media news article dated 15th October 2025, and the subsequent ITF Executive Board (EB) meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the Staff Committee have requested I convey the demands of the workforce in relation to serious allegations of sexual harassment, misogyny and a sexist culture at the ITF.

On 17th October 2025 the EB voted to give you as the AOG certain duties, tasks and powers in relation to this important matter, and it is imperative that the staff working for the ITF have their voice heard loud and clear in that process. For too long, the organisation (including the AOG) has failed to prevent the sidelining, ignoring and silencing of the voice of women (or their union representatives) raising the alarm at the ITF, and this must stop now.

Unite the Union hold the AOG and EB responsible for what happens from now, and our members have instructed us to make clear to you that these matters are regarded with the most critical importance from operational, ethical and industrial standpoints.

In what has already been the most damaging year for industrial relations in the history of the organisation, the juncture that the ITF is now at and the paths you can choose to take it down are being watched vigilantly and intently by our membership who retain an active mandate for Industrial Action.

In the above context I therefore present the immediate demands and expectations of our membership, which we hope you will swiftly confirm your agreement to in full. Our members expect that this will lead to a period of close working between the AOG and Staff Committee as we work towards what we assume are shared goals to eradicate the alleged behaviours and discrimination from the organisation, the movement and the sector.

To avoid necessary escalation from the staff side, we request an urgent response by 5th November 2025.

We look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Yours sincerely,

Matt Freeman
Regional Co-ordinating Officer Unite the Union

ITF staff response to the Statement from the ITF Executive Board (Rio de Janeiro, 17 October 2025)

To be read in conjunction with ITF staff union statement (“We support and believe women”) from 16 October

Staff of the ITF have already participated in reviews, investigations, internal surveys and testified via individual complaints.

If staff are going to have confidence in the investigation the following needs to be agreed as a matter of urgency.

1. Staff union representation and meaningful role in design and remit of investigation

Both Unite and victims of harassment have consistently raised the need for the staff union to play a central role in what happens next as the recognised union within the ITF. We are asking that the Affiliate Oversight Group (AOG) engages us regularly and systematically as part of this process that must begin immediately with clear timelines and deliverables. We expect that current and former staff will have the right to be accompanied by a Unite representative at any investigation meetings that may take place.

2. Appoint a qualified and fully independent investigator

The investigator leading this process must have expertise in gender and whistleblowing. They must be fully independent, which means no link to the ITF General Secretary or key members of ITF senior management team to avoid any bias or even the perception of bias. We demand that the AOG seek agreement with the Staff Committee on the selection of the investigator and in agreeing the Terms of Reference for the investigation. 

3. Ensure the appropriate role of the Affiliate Oversight Group

Given the gravity of these concerns, the ITF cannot be seen to be “marking its own homework”. The actual investigator cannot be the AOG as the AOG is an ITF body. The role of the AOG may fall within the scope of the investigation as the AOG has played a part in the equalities work to date. Unite should have the opportunity to reappoint a representative to the AOG following the retirement of Diana Holland. We must have transparency on the remit and authority of the AOG. Whichever external investigator is appointed must have sufficient independence from the AOG and ITF to undertake their role impartially and the requisite resources must be made available. 

4. Guarantee necessary scope for investigation

The investigation needs to take account of all previous investigations and reports. The scope should include the possibility of wrongdoing by staff members in positions of significant authority, and affiliates when engaged in ITF activities. We additionally call for a review of management’s actions in preventing recurrence of such behaviour, especially in light of legal obligations under UK employment law and the culture of misogyny in the ITF.

5. Commit to transparency

Full disclosure, going forward and backwards, with respect to investigation recommendations. This includes sharing recommendations to historic complainants who were not properly made aware of the outcomes of investigations such as with the Kapur report. Critically, the investigation’s remit must encompass the possibility of speaking to former staff including those who signed NDAs for the purpose of understanding continuing risks and ensuring appropriate protections are in place. We request that the investigation encompasses the scale and justification for historic use of NDAs.

6. Provide staff with tangible support and safeguards

ITF should offer to pay for professional counselling, separate from the employer-provided EAP, for staff both current and past, who have faced distress or harm as a result of their workplace experiences at the ITF. We call for the AOG to immediately review whether any emergency safeguards need to be implemented to safeguard staff. 

Dear colleagues and comrades,

First and foremost, we want to state unequivocally: We support and believe women.

Every worker deserves to be safe, respected, and free from harassment, intimidation, and discrimination in the workplace. These are fundamental principles of the labour movement, and we will not waver from them. Misogyny is totally unacceptable, as is any effort to normalise its pervasive influence in our movement.

We are, and have been, deeply troubled by the systemic concerns regarding sexism and other forms of inequality that ITF staff have raised in the past, alongside other known issues not covered in the recent disturbing article published by Novara Media. It is clear that ITF’s current processes have not been sufficient to create a safe environment for all, but rather appear to have been used to delay and distract from the genuine cultural change staff have called for and leadership have committed to delivering.

For years, our union has consistently sounded the alarm about deep-seated issues of sexism and racism within the ITF’s structures. We have pushed for fixes, made formal recommendations, and urgent calls to action. When doors were closed on us, we even produced our own report to force these critical issues into the light. We were not listened to. The current situation of severe reputational damage that the ITF finds itself in is a direct consequence of a failure to act.

We know that news like this is painful, angering, and can be retraumatizing. It challenges the trust we place in our leaders, our organisation, and in our movement as a whole. We stand in solidarity with those who have come forward. It is a painful confirmation of what many of you have known and experienced, often suffering in silence.  

We are here to listen. If you are affected by this news, have concerns, or you wish to share, please reach out. We will ensure your voice is heard and your confidentiality is respected.

We have a duty at this moment to demand decisive action and transformative change because the status quo is not acceptable. In order to succeed the ITF must be a beacon of social justice, not a workplace that is permissive of the kinds of favouritism and discrimination we speak out against in our daily work.

Our workplace is more than its leaders; it is a collective staff body supported by a global network of trade union affiliates. Together, we must and will hold ourselves to the highest standards of solidarity, equality, and justice. We must do better.

Forever in justice and solidarity,

Your Unite Reps & Committee

Update: Following the disturbing information in the Novara Media report published on the evening of 15 October, our Unite union branch called two emergency meetings on 16 October: one for women staff only, followed by one for all members. The below motion was presented, discussed and adopted by 82% of Unite bargaining unit members in attendance at the larger meeting. 

Emergency Motion

We as ITF staff call on the ITF Executive Board to take decisive action after the unsettling news report on a pervasive culture of misogyny at the ITF published by Novara Media.

This disturbing report follows years of unsuccessful efforts by staff to get ITF senior management to address serious concerns regarding sexism and inequality in our workplace.

The status quo is not acceptable. It is clear that ITF’s current processes have not been sufficient to create a safe environment for all, but rather appear to have been used to delay and distract from the genuine cultural change staff have called for and leadership have committed to delivering.

At the very minimum, ITF leadership must be held to account, previously suppressed investigations must be shared, and the restructuring process must be paused until concerns regarding the qualification and suitability of those leading the process, and the magnification of inequalities can be sufficiently addressed.

There is also a need to safeguard staff given the serious allegations and the threat of reprisals. We ask the Executive Board to take appropriate steps to protect staff pending an investigation.

Following the first-ever strike by ITF staff in the history of the organisation, we have held constructive negotiations with ITF management to reach a resolution on outstanding issues arising from the restructuring process.

In seeking to move forward, there are important lessons that we believe can be drawn from this tumultuous experience:

1. Meaningfully engaging with staff from the start

Unlike other global unions facing financial challenges, ITF management went to its board first to secure a mandate for cuts before holding serious conversations with staff representatives. 

After denying staff the opportunity to engage with the Financial Sustainability Group (FSG), putting forward a non-negotiable 25% cut in 2025 put us on a collision course from the beginning. 

A poorly-planned consultation process is not a substitute for genuine staff involvement in helping to shape the future direction of the organisation. 

2. Prioritising equality as a core value

We can only succeed as an organisation if we practice the values that we preach. We must confront the reality that there are long-standing issues around equality in our workplace.

We are a less equal organisation as a result of the cuts: 80% of the the more than 40 leavers from the bargaining unit are women.

Similarly, as it now stands 80% of the 15 current or past union representatives in scope of the change process are not part of the new structure.  

Serious concerns remain around gaps in the application of legal safeguards for new parents.

Staff in the Asia Pacific restructure had less access to consultation and protections than their London colleagues, while other colleagues were excluded from the process entirely due to the type of their contracts.

For all these reasons the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and principle of collective negotiation over changes to terms and conditions of employment remain essential for protecting the rights of ITF staff.

An evaluation of the use of non-standard forms of employment and unequal treatment towards affected staff is also important if we are to uphold ITF principles going forward. 

3. Strengthening financial controls and disclosure

It is hard to accept such an abrupt reduction in the headcount of permanent staff following a period of seemingly unrestrained spending on external consultancy firms.  

We believe that much more needs to be done to rein-in discretionary spending in areas such as business-class travel, entertaining, expense claims, and corporate consultancy fees to ensure the organisation is financially sustainable.

4. Ensuring we have a viable strategy to deliver our goals

We have an ambitious workplan to implement over the next four years, however we now have significantly less capacity.

We have lost staff in critical areas where the ITF invested significant time and money to distinguish itself. Important activities, which affiliates depend on, are already being cancelled or adversely impacted.

Although the downsizing process is nearly complete, the strategic conversation on how we achieve our six demands has been absent. We want to ensure the objectives endorsed by Congress are reflected in our financial forecasts and operational plans.

Significant work intensification and staff burnout may result where cuts have been most severe and vacant positions go unfilled.

New technologies like AI can be explored but there must be negotiation with staff over their use and longer-term implications. 

5. Deepening the role of affiliates in governance

We hope that this experience can serve a greater purpose. We as staff can raise concerns, however ultimately it is for ITF affiliates to decide what kind of organisation they want to steward. 

We would like to work at a union federation where affiliates are confident that we are moving forward on the right track and are prepared to take a more active role where you feel we can do better.

The message below was shared with all ITF staff following the last day of work (30 September 2025) for a large number of colleagues departing due to the restructuring process.

Dear colleagues, 

As ITF staff we all share a common goal that is meant to guide every decision we make: advancing the rights and wellbeing of transport workers globally. Even when working on an international scale, creating social change is not just about achieving critical mass, it starts with building critical connections. Everything comes back to people. 

That’s why it hurts so much to say goodbye to so many talented colleagues who have dedicated years of their lives to the ITF and its mission. It is hard to communicate our immense gratitude for their contributions alongside our profound sadness regarding the circumstances leading to their departure. 

Following our strike last month, we continue to meet with management to seek a resolution to our dispute. We are trying to find common ground on the key issues flagged by members when the proposed agreement was voted down on 11 September: avoiding compulsory redundancies, maintaining redundancy protection going forward, and continuing to have a mechanism to ensure salary and grading are handled fairly. These discussions have been constructive and are ongoing. 

At the outset of this restructuring process, we raised serious concerns around fairness and equality. We are still waiting for management to provide a revised Equality Impact Assessment (EIA). The initial document did not follow our usual process and failed to meet an acceptable standard, which is to identify and mitigate potential harms before decisions are taken. 

Our preliminary analysis of staffing changes to the Unite bargaining unit suggests that 80% of the approximately 40 leavers are women. This is worrying in light of ongoing concerns regarding gender inequality in our workplace. 

No EIA was shared with Asia Pacific staff undergoing a parallel restructuring process, where the scale of changes are even more pronounced.   

As the restructuring timeline comes to a close, members have approached us with a number of individual and collective concerns that have yet to be resolved by management. Many of these issues have equality considerations including:  

• Parental rights
• Flexible working
• Medical leave
• Pay fairness  
• Freedom of expression
• Basic employment rights

There are many learnings for the future, not least of which is the need to put in place safeguards to ensure equal treatment for all ITF staff irrespective of their place of work or form of contract.  

In trying to find a way forward, it is critical that we treat these concerns with due regard and the utmost care. We remain committed to finding a resolution so that we all can return our full attention to the critical work of our organisation. 

In solidarity, 

ITF Staff Union

We are writing to inform you that ITF staff are striking from 15-18 September due to insufficient movement by ITF management in redundancy negotiations. 

A proposal put to the union membership was rejected by 72% on 11 September. Members were not ready to accept a deal that did not provide firm commitments to remedy their widely and deeply felt concerns. 

Our members have been clear that the restructuring process has been a poorly-managed disaster from start to finish. There has been no mention of the ITF’s six demands in the new structure and how these can be achieved after decimating our organisational capacity. 

Despite half of London staff applying for “voluntary redundancy”, staff who wish to remain at the ITF are still at risk of compulsory redundancy, including workers with protected status under the law. Management has not committed to protections against a similar fiasco in the future. Concerns over due process and treatment of vulnerable staff, including staff in regions, remain outstanding.

This situation is not helped by management floating a proposal to freeze staff pay while simultaneously aiming to increase both the minimum and maximum pay rates of senior management roles in order to remain “competitive”. 

Following rejection of the proposal, management declined to negotiate further to find an agreement that would have allowed us to avoid a strike. They have informed the union that they will not attend our scheduled negotiation meeting on Wednesday 17 September. We are disappointed that ITF management has walked away from the bargaining table at this critical moment. 

Our strike is a last resort as we seek a positive future for the ITF. As per the press release from our union Unite: “These strike dates coincide with the ITF’s Maritime Roundtable (MRT) in Cyprus. There will be a physical picket line in London along with a virtual picket line globally, in recognition that the work of ITF staff is international and essential to delivering events like the MRT.”

Our work is global, so too is our picket line. We hope that ITF affiliates will stand with ITF staff so that we can find a fair resolution to our dispute. 

We remain hopeful that we can resolve this dispute in a way that upholds our trade union principles of fairness and equality. 

In solidarity, 

Shop Stewards

ITF Staff Union (Unite LE1267)

New strike dates confirmed in official press release from Unite the Union.

Additional strike action announced due to lack of movement by management in redundancy negotiations

More than 100 workers at the London-based International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have announced new strike dates in response to planned redundancies and attacks on collective bargaining.

The workers, members of Unite, are striking after the ITF’s management initiated an organisation-wide restructuring that includes cutting a quarter of the workforce this year.

In July, the workers voted by 89 per cent for strike action and by 90 per cent for action short of strike action on a turn out of 89 per cent.

An initial set of strike dates in July were postponed when management committed to act with urgency to progress negotiations.

Frustration over the lack of movement by management since then has resulted in fresh strike action being announced.

Unite regional coordinating officer Matt Freeman said: “ITF staff have been put through massive stress and anxiety throughout this restructuring process.

“Our members had no choice but to call additional strike dates to force management to progress negotiations. They have Unite’s full support.”

ITF staff will go on strike from 15 to 18 September, while maintaining an overtime ban and work to rule mandate in place from 17 July. Industrial action will continue if the dispute is not resolved.

These strike dates coincide with the ITF’s Maritime Roundtable (MRT) in Cyprus. There will be a physical picket line in London along with a virtual picket line globally, in recognition that the work of ITF staff is international and essential to delivering events like the MRT.  

Matt Freeman added: “We continue to be concerned about the proposed redundancies proposed being uneven. Management roles are male dominated, while the majority of the bargaining unit are women workers.

“We believe it is entirely possible for management to commit to a fair and equal resolution to our dispute without compulsory redundancies.”

We return to the bargaining table today with the ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton to negotiate a fair resolution to our dispute.

As staff we are advocating to protect jobs and the critical work of the organisation. The cuts being proposed endanger the trade union work we have dedicated years of our lives to supporting.

We have a mandate to secure the following outcomes:

• Ensure staff cuts are a last resort
• Follow due process
• Commit to financial transparency and accountability
• Guarantee fairness and equality
• Move forward with sound planning

On 28 August, ITF staff union representatives will be meeting with the ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton, following requests we have made since the restructuring process began in June.

We remain committed to finding a resolution to this dispute that upholds our trade union principles of fairness and equality, while protecting the critical work of our organisation and putting safeguards in place to prevent such a crisis from re-occurring.

Our industrial action mandate for both actions short of strike and strike action remains in place and we will be carefully assessing our next steps in relation to the progress we are able to achieve on these important matters.

Our outstanding issues are organised around five key demands:

• Protect jobs
• Uphold our CBA
• Accountability
• Equality
• Sound Planning

And what does the number of applications mean for the future of the organisation?

Staff have voted for industrial action for the first time in the 129-year history of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). We are fighting for the future of our organisation, armed with the conviction that our work matters. 

From brutal cuts to mass “voluntary” departures

ITF management are seeking to cut 25% of staff roles in the London headquarters this year. This severe reduction in staff is the guiding objective of a poorly-planned restructuring process to find £4 million in cost savings. 

The uneven cuts being proposed will empty the organisation of critical capacity while magnifying existing inequalities. 

ITF regional staff are also facing drastic restructures, starting with those in Asia Pacific in a parallel timeline with London.

Even more worrying is the revelation that 50% of staff in London and Asia Pacific have submitted applications for what management are calling “voluntary redundancy”. 

Jump before you are pushed out

If an organisation is looking to reduce headcount responsibly, you would expect a voluntary redundancy process to precede any restructure. 

First, make an open offer to staff to see who might be ready to leave the workplace, and then see whether any further savings are required to balance the books. 

This logical sequence is what the staff union proposed, in line with past precedent from 2012, which successfully avoided the need for any compulsory redundancies.  

Instead, ITF management only opened an organisation-wide “voluntary” redundancy window after sending a large proportion of staff “at risk of redundancy” letters and beginning a formal consultation period on job cuts.

A great deal of uncertainty remains. Staff can withdraw their applications for a limited period of time and may reconsider when a clearer picture of the new structure is finally presented.  

Still, it is difficult to describe this decision as “voluntary” for our affected colleagues who have been asked to gamble on their futures.

• Option 1: Choose to stay and contend for a role in the new structure with no guarantees – risking compulsory redundancy.

• Option 2: Resign from the ITF and re-enter a tight job market to receive an enhanced “voluntary” redundancy offer. 

Signs staff are being failed by management 

Some staff received letters stating that their roles are not at risk, only to subsequently receive letters saying that they are. 

A number of our colleagues have not received any formal communications and have been excluded from the consultation process, seemingly due to their contract status. 

Following the close of the consultation, an as yet undetermined number of staff are expected to receive assurances that their jobs are no longer at risk.

Nevertheless, this 50% figure – which represents over 75 applications from London and Asia Pacific for “voluntary” redundancy – is a clear sign that all is not well. 

A recent survey found that 94.8% of respondents did not feel they had been provided sufficient information to make an informed decision about their future, while 91.8% indicated that the “change process” had negatively affected their mental or physical health. 

There is a sense that ITF management started the process with an end goal in mind, but had not done their due diligence to properly plan the complicated logistics of an organisation-wide restructure. 

This context cannot be ignored as a contributing factor towards the large number of applications for “voluntary” redundancy. 

The leadership of any organisation should be worried if 50% of its staff would consider leaving rather than remain in their current environment. 

What does this say about the culture of our workplace, the degree to which people feel valued, and their expectations for the future?

Tragic loss of organisational capacity

While we are saddened by this news, we support our colleagues who have had to make these difficult choices. 

Some may be ready to move on. Many others would prefer to stay, but can’t afford to take the risk and see little prospect of holding onto their employment. 

We know that each individual has to make the decision that is best for themselves and their families. 

But make no mistake: this is a tragedy on a collective scale. 

Hundreds of years in combined experience will disappear. This is a tremendous loss of institutional memory, specialised skills, and relationships with ITF-affiliated unions that dedicated staff members have cultivated over their working lives. 

After approving an ambitious plan at the ITF Congress in Marrakesh in October 2024, that vision is being jeopardised. 

Staff have been left feeling they are disposable. There is a widespread lack of understanding about the work we do. 

During consultations, teams flagged the various ways in which cuts would make it impossible to produce what was committed to in Marrakesh. Management appeared neither particularly surprised nor concerned about this information. 

At a critical historical moment, the signal being broadcast from the ITF to our fellow trade unionists and to the wider world is that we are retrenching rather than advancing.

Solidarity is the way forward 

We are all committed trade unionists. As much as we are concerned about the risks to our livelihoods, we are also deeply concerned about the future of the organisation. 

We know that our work matters: we’ve been asked to do it by you, the ITF’s affiliated unions. Congress approved a bold plan, not severe cuts. 

We remain hopeful that we can reach a resolution that upholds trade union values of fairness and equality. 

For us as staff that means: 

• Avoiding any compulsory redundancies
• Upholding our commitment to create a more equal workplace 
• Recognising the sanctity of our Collective Bargaining Agreement
• Respecting the rights of regional staff under the ITF Constitution
• Ensuring responsible stewardship of financial resources
• And protecting the essential work of our organisation

We need your support to make this fair resolution a reality. 

As a result of unprecedented compounding pressure from our industrial action mandate, affiliate engagement and public scrutiny, ITF management are finally moving at the bargaining table.

We carefully considered the employer’s offer and agreed to postpone our Industrial Action dates on 22 and 29 July, while reserving our right to give notice for new strike dates if negotiations fail to progress in a satisfactory manner.

We have secured:

• Agreement to extend consultation period to minimum of 80 days, with commitment to use this time to ensure staff concerns are adequately addressed
• Agreement to provide further financial disclosure
• Agreement to schedule meeting with ITF General Secretary
• Commitment to continue negotiations on all other items and to make significant progress by end of July

While we have achieved an important step forward, our dispute has not been resolved.

We will need to continue to apply steady pressure to secure a fair resolution.

Our overtime ban and mandate to “work to rule” remains in full effect.