Europe's travel strikes in June and July: When, where and what disruption you can expect

یورو نیوز

یورو نیوز - ۸ تیر ۱۴۰۲

By Euronews Travel with Reuters •

Updated: 29/۶/۲۰۲۳ - 13:۱۶

Workers across Europe are walking out to protest low pay and poor working conditions.

Europe is a hive of strike action right now, with many employees unhappy that sky-high inflation has not been matched by higher wages.

Walkouts are planned all over Europe, showing that it always pays to check before you travel.

Luckily, we have gathered all of the strike information together below.

Read on to find out where and when are walkouts taking place.

If your flight or train is cancelled or delayed, you will be entitled to a new ticket or compensation. Read our guide for the full details.

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France: Travellers warned about ongoing French pension protests

Unions across France have been in an ongoing battle against an increase in the legal retirement age from ۶۲ to ۶۴.

Protests broke out across the country after President Emmanuel Macron decided to push through the change without a parliamentary vote. Strikes have been ongoing since January and have heavily impacted travel.

A banner reading "General strike, against Macron and his world" hangs during a demonstration, Thursday, April 13, ۲۰۲۳ in Paris.

AP Photo/Lewis Joly

The last day of mass action in France on ۶ June saw SNCF services "very lightly" affected. But air travel was heavily impacted with Ryanair cancelling ۴۰۰ flights across Europe due to air traffic controller strikes.

Unions involved in the protest were set to meet on ۱۳ June to decide what they will do in the future but the outcome of the talks is yet to be announced.

Air traffic controllers strike at Paris airport

On Thursday ۲۹ June, French air traffic controllers will go on strike at Paris Beauvais airport, which caters to budget airlines including Ryanair.

The strikes will commence on Wednesday evening and end at 6am on Friday ۳۰ June, leading to potential delays.

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Scotland: Glasgow Airport workers set to strike

Unite the union has announced key worker strikes at Glasgow Airport after OCS Group - which provides facilities management services - failed to improve its pay offer.

The dates for the ۲۴-hour walkouts are ۶ July and ۱۱ July. This will impact services aiding passengers with mobility issues, such as those using wheelchairs.

Further strikes at both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports have been called off after deals were struck with the unions, with staff accepting ۱۱ to ۱۲ per cent pay rises.

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England: Summer strikes at London Heathrow called off

Security staff have called off strikes at London Heathrow Airport after voting to accept a pay offer.

More than 2,000 staff were due to strike for ۳۱ days this summer.

"By Euronews Travel with Reuters • Updated: 29/۶/۲۰۲۳ - 13:۱۶ Workers across Europe are walking out to protest low pay and poor working conditions"The industrial action would have coincided with the beginning of the school holidays and the August bank holiday in the UK.

Passengers were worried that it could lead to a repeat of the chaos seen at the airport last year.

But now strikes have been called off, Heathrow has said it is looking forward to delivering an "excellent summer" for travellers.

Potential strikes at Birmingham Airport in July

Birmingham Airport in the Midlands could also face summer travel chaos as around ۱۰۰ key airport workers are voting on strike action.

Security officers, technicians and aircraft re-fuelers could stage walkouts from July over pay, potentially leading to "significant delays and cancelled flights", according to Unite.

Terminal ۵ at Heathrow Airport in London, which handles British Airways flights, stands virtually empty of passengers as staff standby to help.

AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File

Sweden: Security strikes at airports in July

The Swedish Transport Workers' Union has announced security strikes from ۳ July at Stockholm Arland Airport, Bromma Stockholm Airport and Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport.

At Bromma and Lanvetter airport, the strike would affect all work carried out by security staff meaning passengers may not be able to depart from the airport. At Arland, it wouldn't be a total walkout and could just affect baggage scanners meaning passengers would only be able to take carry-on luggage.

The strike over wages could continue on 5, 7, ۱۰ and ۱۴ July if no agreement is reached.

It will also include security staff at other businesses, including a nuclear power plant, with a total of ۴۵۰ employees expected to be involved, according to Swedish national broadcaster SVT.

Italy: Strikes across public transport and airports in June and July

Transport strikes aren't unusual in Italy during the summer. Italian unions representing staff from airlines, rail operators and public transport have already announced a number of strikes this year.

There is likely to be regional disruption from walkouts at regional transport companies so it's worth checking before you travel.

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Nationwide public transport strikes

On Friday ۷ July, public transport staff across the country will strike for ۲۴ hours. Everything from trains to ferries and metro services is likely to face delays and disruption due to the walkouts.

The level of disruption is likely to vary from city to city and even from service to service to its worth checking with your travel provider to see how you could be impacted.

Public transport will be affected from midnight on ۶ July until the beginning of service on ۷ July then again from ۸:۳۰ am to ۵:۰ pm and ۸:۰ pm to midnight. Minimum service is guaranteed from the beginning of service on ۷ July until ۸:۲۹ am and from ۵:۱ pm to ۷:۵۹ pm.

Ground staff strike at major airports

On the same day as public transport workers stage a nationwide strike (۷ July), ground staff at airports including Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Amerigo Vespucci in Florence will stage walkouts.

This could lead to airport delays.

Italy's air traffic controllers to walk out

On Saturday ۱۵ July staff at Italy's main air traffic control operator ENAV are going on strike for ۲۴ hours.

There aren't yet many details on what disruption this walkout is likely to cause but it could cause cancellations and delays at airports across the country.

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Spain: Daily strikes from airline staff

On ۱۹ June, the Spanish Union of Airline Pilots (Sepla) began a third round of strikes against Air Europa, Spain’s third-largest airline.

It comes after a verbal deal reached on ۸ June over pay and working conditions fell through.

The two-week walkout will last until ۲ July, and has so far led to flight cancellations and delays. However, pilots and airlines are obligated to maintain a minimum number of flights during strikes in Spain.

Since ۶ June, the Sepla union also began a “daily indefinite strike” against Air Nostrum, the regional airline run by Iberia. The strike has forced the cancellation of ۲۰ per cent of the airline's flights and also delayed other flights.

The strike is taking place every weekday and there are no signs of a breakthrough in talks so far.

Germany: Further rail strikes possible

Germany's EVG trade union, which represents railway and transport workers, has called a series of 'warning strikes' this year over pay. These have impacted Deutsche Bahn train services, among others.

Wage talks collapsed in June, bringing the prospect of more walkouts. Dates are yet to be announced but union members are set to vote on an unlimited strike.

This could begin from mid-July, hitting holiday season travel.

Lufthansa strikes possible in July

Lufthansa pilots are currently considering a new pay offer from the flag carrier.

"Strikes have been ongoing since January and have heavily impacted travel. A banner reading "General strike, against Macron and his world" hangs during a demonstration, Thursday, April 13, ۲۰۲۳ in Paris.AP Photo/Lewis JolyThe last day of mass action in France on ۶ June saw SNCF services "very lightly" affected"Workers have agreed on a truce on strikes that ends on ۳۰ June, meaning summer walkouts could be on the cards if the offer is rejected.

Switzerland: Workers at Geneva Airport threaten strike

Workers at Geneva Airport represented by the Swiss Public Service Union have resolved to strike on Friday ۳۰ June over a pay dispute.

It could lead to a total stoppage with no flights landing or taking off according to the union.

The strike was announced immediately after the company managing the airport agreed to a cost-cutting plan for salaries on Thursday ۲۹ June. Initially it was feared the strike action would be immediate, but it has instead been called for Friday.

Geneva Airport is expecting disruption and has advised passengers travelling in the coming days to arrive ۲.۵ hours before their scheduled flight, with delays and cancellations likely.

It says that information will be provided via the airport's website and app as the situation develops.

If you know of a big strike happening in your country that we have missed, we'd love to hear from you via Twitter.

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