Belgian trade union leader Frank Moreels will become president of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) on January 1, 2027.<\/p>\n
He will lead one of the world’s most influential international labor organizations, representing 16.6 million workers across shipping, ports, road transport, aviation, railways and logistics.<\/p>\n
The appointment was formally confirmed by ITF’s Executive Board during a meeting in Mexico. Moreels, currently president of the Belgian Transport Workers’ Union (BTB-ABVV), will succeed Australian Paddy Crumlin, who has headed the organization since 2010.<\/p>\n
However, the decision is not entirely new. The succession was already agreed at ITF’s 2024 congress in Marrakech, where Crumlin was reappointed until the end of 2026, with Moreels designated to take over in January 2027. His mandate will run until the next congress in 2029.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1896 and headquartered in London, ITF brings together more than 760 affiliated trade unions in over 150 countries. Its international reach makes it a significant player in negotiations over wages, working conditions and the future of transport.<\/p>\n
Its influence is particularly visible in maritime transport, where ITF negotiates international collective agreements, campaigns against social dumping aboard ships sailing under flags of convenience, and maintains a worldwide network of inspectors.<\/p>\n
The federation also represents transport workers’ interests before international institutions, including the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).<\/p>\n
Unlike a national trade union, ITF does not negotiate a single collective agreement covering all its members. Its strength lies in coordinating unions across borders and putting pressure on multinational employers and governments.<\/p>\n
Born in Kortrijk in 1961, Moreels has spent more than four decades in the trade union movement. He began his career with the socialist ABVV youth organization in the 1980s before joining the national union’s leadership.<\/p>\n
In 2006, he became federal secretary responsible for road transport and logistics at BTB-ABVV, eventually becoming its president in 2016.<\/p>\n
His European credentials are substantial. From 2017 until May 2025, he chaired the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), which represents transport unions at EU level. He stepped down to take up his new international role and was succeeded by Swiss trade unionist Giorgio Tuti.<\/p>\n
Moreels is particularly associated with campaigns against social dumping in European road haulage, where differences in wages, labor regulations and subcontracting practices have long created tensions between transport operators and drivers.<\/p>\n
His international presidency comes at a crucial moment for the transport industry. Electrification, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, port automation and the decarbonization of shipping and aviation are transforming businesses and employment.<\/p>\n
ITF wants workers and their unions to be directly involved in these transitions rather than simply face their consequences.<\/p>\n
In September, the federation adopted international principles governing the introduction of artificial intelligence in transport, demanding transparency, worker participation and human oversight of automated systems.<\/p>\n
For Belgium, home to the port of Antwerp-Bruges and major international logistics operations, these debates are particularly relevant. “Employers and clients organize their activities across borders. That is why we, too, must cooperate across borders,” Moreels said following his confirmation.<\/p>\n
He will work alongside ITF general secretary Stephen Cotton, who oversees the federation’s day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n
Although the presidency does not give Moreels direct authority over international transport legislation, it places a Belgian trade union leader at the center of discussions over how the global mobility industry should balance competitiveness, technological progress and workers’ rights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Belgian trade union leader Frank Moreels will become president of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) on January 1, 2027. He will lead one of the world’s most influential international labor organizations, representing 16.6 million workers across shipping, ports, road transport, aviation, railways and logistics. The appointment was formally confirmed by ITF’s Executive Board during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":196201,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\r\n\r\n{excerpt}\r\n\r\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[77152,77170,28,77153,32,26,4,61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-196200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation","category-belgium","category-europe","category-maritime","category-portrait","category-public-transport","category-top-stories-today","category-transport"],"acf":[],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?fit=1280%2C960&ssl=1",1280,960,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1",640,480,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1",640,480,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?fit=1280%2C960&ssl=1",1280,960,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?fit=1280%2C960&ssl=1",1280,960,true],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?fit=16%2C12&ssl=1",16,12,true],"related-thumb":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1",640,480,true],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1",400,400,true],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1",600,600,true],"mailchimp":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?fit=560%2C420&ssl=1",560,420,true],"unipress-phone":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=640%2C100&ssl=1",640,100,true],"unipress-tablet":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=1280%2C240&ssl=1",1280,240,true],"unipress-tablet-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=1280%2C180&ssl=1",1280,180,true],"unipress-tablet-landscape":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=1280%2C180&ssl=1",1280,180,true],"unipress-smartphone":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=1080%2C168&ssl=1",1080,168,true],"unipress-wide-screen":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newmobility.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Frank-Moreels.jpg?resize=1280%2C180&ssl=1",1280,180,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"
Belgian trade union leader Frank Moreels will become president of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) on January 1, 2027. He will lead one of the world’s most influential international labor organizations, representing 16.6 million workers across shipping, ports, road transport, aviation, railways and logistics. The appointment was formally confirmed by ITF’s Executive Board during a meeting in Mexico. Moreels, currently president of the Belgian Transport Workers’ Union (BTB-ABVV), will succeed Australian Paddy Crumlin, who has headed the organization since 2010. However, the decision is not entirely new. The succession was already agreed at ITF’s 2024 congress in Marrakech, where…<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Aviation<\/a>, Belgium<\/a>, Europe<\/a>, Maritime<\/a>, Portrait<\/a>, Public transport<\/a>, Top Stories Today<\/a>, Transport<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Joris Van Roy","url":"https:\/\/newmobility.news\/en\/author\/jorisximcom-be\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","yoast_head":"\n