The IRU and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have launched a three-point plan to ease driver shortage issues, including in the coach and bus sectors.
The bodies call for action from international organisations such as the UN, national governments and operators in a bid to help solve what they call a “chronic” and “accelerating” shortage.
The plan calls on UN and other international organisations to develop a framework “with clear guidelines to protect non-resident drivers; improve driver conditions and increase social cohesion; and harmonise qualification standards and cross-border recognition.”
It also encourages governments to enforce procedures to “protect non-resident drivers and reduce bureaucracy to allow easier legal immigration for current and potential drivers”. It says governments should work together on bilateral agreements to recognise third-country qualifications and subsidise domestic training programmes.
The plan says road transport operators should “develop operational integration programmes for non-resident drivers to receive the same conditions as their domestic workforce; and support training, skills management and certification processes.”
IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto says: “Driver shortages are quickly getting out of control. Balancing global labour supply and demand via simple measures to ease legal immigration and stop exploitation of non-resident drivers is one way to fix the problem, support decent work and keep vital road transport services moving.”
Analysis by the Confederation of Passenger Transport last year found a 26% vacancy for coach driver roles and 13% for bus drivers. The IRU and ITF says around 11% of driver positions globally were unfilled in 2022 and predicts vacancies could more than double by 2026.
ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton adds: “Governments, transport employers, and the multinational customers of transport must work together with trade unions to build decent work to end driver shortages. Road transport will only be able to attract and retain drivers if it is built on cooperation between all stakeholders and rightsholders to ensure decent work, fundamental labour rights and genuine social protections.”
The IRU represents more than 3.5 million road transport operators and the ITF some 18.5 million transport workers.
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