ITF warns transport workers remain at risk as 100-day Iran war escalates

June 11 ------ One hundred days after the United States and Israel launched “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran, the conflict has continued to escalate despite intermittent calls for de-escalation, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

The federation said the renewed intensity of the war has further exposed transport workers to serious and unacceptable risks across the region. From the outset, the ITF has stressed that transport workers are civilians, not combatants. It noted that seafarers, pilots, cabin crew, ground handlers, air traffic controllers, truck drivers and port workers continue to keep global supply chains operating under increasingly dangerous conditions.

The organization added that these workers have no role in the conflict and no ability to influence its course, yet remain among those most directly affected by its consequences as hostilities persist. As explained, attacks on civilian transport workers in the region have continued, with recent strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain international airports reportedly causing civilian casualties and putting aviation staff at risk. In the Persian Gulf, commercial shipping remains under threat amid ongoing incidents near the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest developments are part of a broader, roughly 100-day pattern of violence affecting civilian infrastructure, including airports, ports and other transport hubs across the region. Aviation workers in Kuwait, Bahrain, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been among those impacted.

At sea, commercial vessels have faced escalating risks, including strikes, seizures and detentions involving Iranian and US forces, with reports of seafarer injuries and fatalities. The situation has heightened concerns over maritime safety in the Persian Gulf.

Transport workers across the region, including those in road logistics, continue to operate under hazardous conditions, with disrupted routes and limited protection as the conflict continues to affect regional supply chains.

The ITF’s demands 100 days in:

• An immediate, permanent ceasefire and full de-escalation by all parties.

• Full and unconditional protection of civilian transport workers and civilian infrastructure under international law

• The immediate release of all detained seafarers and vessels.

• Full implementation of Maritime Labor Convention protections, including crew changes, wage payments, unrestricted communications and repatriation.

• An end of the misuse of force majeure to undermine workers’ rights.

• Meaningful mental health support for all transport workers affected by this conflict.

• Any humanitarian maritime corridor to be enacted only with full, verified, binding safety guarantees.

• Urgent diplomatic engagement under United Nations leadership toward a just and durable peace, grounded in international law and the UN Charter.

"The ITF represents more than 16.5 million transport workers worldwide and our message is clear: Transport workers are not expendable. They are not collateral damage. They are not bargaining chips. They are not instruments of war. End this war, protect civilian transport workers, and bring stranded and detained transport workers home," ITF highlighted.

Source: safety4sea.com