Marcus Strom reports on investigations into allegations that ITF leader Stephen Cotton perpetuated a sexist culture and engaged in sexual harassment.
A campaign group representing women in the international transport union movement has called for the general secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), Stephen Cotton, to stand aside while an inquiry investigates allegations that he fostered a sexist “boys’ club” culture inside the federation and engaged in sexual harassment.
The group, ITF Women C190, says the inquiry comes only after more than six months of pressure following explosive allegations first published by Novara Media in October 2025. C190 refers to the International Labour Organisation Convention 190, on violence and harassment in the world of work.
At the same time, Labor Tribune has been told that the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) National Council passed a solidarity motion supporting victims of the alleged harassment last year – but the union has refused to confirm the motion or release its contents publicly. The MUA is a key affiliate of the ITF. Its former National Secretary, Paddy Crumlin, is the President of the ITF, a position he has held for 16 years.
The allegations against Cotton were first aired in an October 2025 investigation by Novara Media, which reported claims of sexual harassment and a toxic workplace culture within the ITF.
In response to questions from Labor Tribune (republished below), the MUA would only say: “The Union doesn’t comment on the private business of its National Council meetings.”
But the ITF Women C190 group told Labor Tribune that the motion of solidarity for victims of Cotton’s alleged behaviour was passed and that former MUA national secretary and ITF president Crumlin voted against it.
“Following the ITF Executive Board statement [relating to the allegations], the MUA also passed a motion in support of the victims at the National Council meeting, which Paddy voted against, but has also not shared it with the ITF or other affiliated unions,” the group said.
The allegations and the handling of them raise serious questions for the MUA leadership, which they have chosen not to answer. Crumlin has been president of the ITF throughout the period in which the alleged conduct took place. Yet despite public statements and interventions by unions across Europe and North America, the MUA has maintained public silence.
That silence stands in stark contrast to the actions of other ITF affiliates.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) in Britain publicly called for Cotton to be suspended while the investigation takes place.
Other affiliates and transport labour bodies to issue statements include the British unions the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Confédération française démocratique du travail (CFDT), Confédération générale du travail (CGT), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Nordic Transport Workers’ Federation, the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in the United States and Canada, among others.
Cotton denies all the allegations.
In a statement made to Novara Media in October, Paddy Crumlin, and Frank Moreels, who will take over the ITF presidency in January 2027, admitted that the “pervasive misogyny and lack of accountability” that exists in the transport industry “will inevitably be reflected in the culture and governance of the ITF”.
They said: “The ITF is committed to changing that reality and is taking ongoing action to eliminate unacceptable behaviour.”
Labor Tribune made numerous attempts to speak to senior officials within both the ITF and the MUA but received no substantive response.
Two days after the Novara story appeared, former Sydney MUA secretary and current ITF official Paul McAleer posted a cryptic message on social media.
McAleer declined to discuss the matter with Labor Tribune and we cannot confirm whether the post referred to the allegations against Cotton.
The inquiry into the allegations is now being overseen by the ITF’s Affiliate Oversight Group (AOG), but ITF Women C190 has sharply criticised both the delay in establishing the investigation and the structure of the process itself.
In a social media statement on 5 April – before the inquiry began – the group accused the ITF leadership of attempting to “delay taking any action” while hoping supporters of Cotton could regroup. The ITF Executive Board agreed to investigate the allegations on 17 October 2025 but delayed any work on the inquiry for more than six months.
“The ITF has not published a statement supporting the victims and no action has been taken in terms of an investigation. Their silence is deafening,” the ITF Women C190 group wrote on 5 April.
Even after the inquiry began, criticism continued. In a 22 April statement, ITF Women C190 questioned why victims were being directed through a third-party call centre and whether submissions were being treated merely as complaints rather than evidence.
On 11 May, the group escalated its criticism further, alleging senior ITF figures had long known about the culture inside the federation.
“When Christine Behle, ‘president’ of the AOG, told the ETF [European Transport Workers’ Federation] Executive Board that the sexist culture at the ITF is ‘no news’, we were shocked,” the statement said.
“ITF EB members knew about Steve Cotton’s [alleged] behaviour and the toxic culture that he has [allegedly] created at the ITF but they chose to do nothing about it.”
The group has called on staff, former staff and affiliated unions to make submissions to the inquiry and has continued campaigning publicly through its social media channels.
The allegations have sent shockwaves through sections of the international labour movement because the ITF is one of the world’s largest and most influential global union federations, representing transport unions across maritime, aviation, rail and road sectors.
The ITF and affiliated unions recently celebrated International Day for Maritime Women on 18 May, with MUA Assistant National Secretary Mich-Elle Myers attending the Women in Male Dominated Occupations & Industries (WIMDOI) conference in Rotarua. Myers, who is also Vice-President of the ALP, referred all questions from Labor Tribune to the MUA media spokesperson, who supplied the single line response mentioned above.
For many unionists, the issue is now broader than the allegations against one individual. It is also about whether powerful union institutions are prepared to confront entrenched cultures of sexism, bureaucracy, secrecy and unaccountable leadership when allegations of abuse emerge at the top.
I am writing an article for publication on Monday that covers the current inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment by Stephen Cotton, general secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, of which the MUA is an important affiliate. (Questions in bold below)
The period during which allegations of misconduct occurred happened while Paddy Crumlin was president of the ITF.
It has been put to me by members of ITF Women C190 group that the MUA National Council last year passed a motion of support for the victims of the alleged sexual misconduct; that Paddy Crumlin voted against this motion; and the successful motion was subsequently not shared with the ITF executive or affiliates.
Can you confirm that this motion was passed, and share with me a copy of that motion? If not, can you explain why this motion was not made public or why the MUA has not made any public statements regarding these very serious allegations?
It has been put to Labor Tribune that Paddy Crumlin was aware of Stephen Cotton’s behaviour long before they were revealed in an article last year by Novara Media.
Did Paddy Crumlin ever raise this behaviour with the MUA National Council or senior officials? What steps did Paddy Crumlin or the MUA take to counter sexist behaviour at the top of the ITF during his period as ITF President?
IT has been put to me that at the ITF executive meeting in October, when that article broke, that comments were made that “women who are anonymous women are not women at all” and that the chair of that meeting, Paddy Crumlin, let that and other derogatory comments go unchallenged. Can you shed any light on these accusations?
Since the article emerged in October last year, the ITF has set up an inquiry.
Will the MUA make a submission to this inquiry? IF not, why not?
The ITF Women C190 group has called for Stephen Cotton to be stood down during the inquiry. Does the MUA support this call or oppose it?
I note that Monday, 18 May was International Day for Women in Maritime and that the MUA has made social media posts to celebrate this.
I am sure you agree that ensuring women are safe at work – whether at sea, on the waterfront, in transport, logistics or working for the ITF – is a central pillar of trade unionism. Can you explain the MUA’s approach to this inquiry in light of that?