The General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), Stephen Cotton, has been accused of multiple instances of workplace harassment and fostering a deeply misogynistic culture within the global trade union body, according to an investigation by Novara Media.
The media reported that interviews with current and former employees, supported by internal documents, allege that Cotton presided over a “masculine, sexist, patriarchal boys’ club”, where union funds were allegedly used for alcohol-fuelled outings to strip clubs and where women employees were subjected to humiliation, harassment, and retaliation.
Two women, according to the report, have accused Cotton of directly harassing them — one claiming he forced his way into her hotel room and verbally abused her, and another alleging he followed her into a women’s toilet and made a sexually explicit remark.
Cotton has denied the allegations. The ITF confirmed that one case had previously been investigated and mediated, with no wrongdoing found.
The accusations form part of a wider pattern of alleged sexism and misconduct at the ITF, which represents 677 transport unions and over 16 million workers worldwide.
Internal reports and witness statements, according to Novara Media, describe a “profoundly sexist” workplace where senior male figures allegedly trivialised gender-based violence and used union money for strip club expenses during overseas work trips.
A 2025 survey of ITF staff found that nearly half of women respondents had witnessed or experienced sexual harassment, while 22% reported unwanted touching. Only 5% were satisfied with how complaints were handled.
An independent report in 2022 by Indian lawyer Naina Kapur described the ITF as a “masculine, sexist, patriarchal boys’ club”, highlighting years of unchecked harassment, favouritism, and retaliation.
It criticised senior management, including Assistant General Secretary Rob Johnston, for negligence and a lack of understanding of gender issues.
The ITF said it had accepted the report’s recommendations “in spirit and intent”.
Among those most affected was Jodi Evans, the ITF’s women’s officer, who filed a grievance in 2024 accusing Cotton of failing to act on repeated reports of sexual harassment and assault.
She later left the organisation, citing trauma caused by its toxic culture.
Recent mass redundancies at the ITF’s London office have also sparked concern, with insiders alleging that the process is being used to silence critics and erase institutional memory.
Eighty per cent of departing staff are reportedly women.
In response to the allegations, ITF president Paddy Crumlin and incoming president Frank Moreels reportedly acknowledged that misogyny and poor accountability within the wider transport sector are mirrored within the ITF itself.
They said the organisation is committed to cultural reform and has launched an urgent investigation into the claims.
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