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.
Italy: Transport strikes happening in April
Public transport services around Italy will be hit by a 24-hour general strike on 21 April.
The strike was called by Italian union CUB in protest against unfavourable work contracts and the government’s recent veto over the introduction of a minimum salary.
It has so far been confirmed that public transport in Milan, Rome and Naples will be unaffected.
Whereas Milan’s Linate and Malpensa airports and Rome’s Fiumicino airport are expected to experience the highest degree of disruption.
Italy: Transport strikes happening in May
Railway staff from all around Italy will strike from 9pm on 30 April to 9pm on 1 May. There aren’t currently any details as to which rail operators or services will experience the greatest amount of disruption on the day.
There is a nationwide, 24-hour general strike on 26 May.
The strike will affect bus and tram services as well as metro lines, with significant delays and cancellations likely to take place on the day. At the time of writing, it isn’t yet clear whether local and interregional rail services will also be affected by the walkout.
The strike was called by Italian union USB (Unione Sindacati di Base) in protest against precarious work contracts and low wages.
Cabin staff at Air Dolomiti, a subsidiary of Lufthansa operating routes from Germany to 13 different Italian destinations, will take part in a 24-hour national strike on 19 May. Volotea cabin crews from all around the country will strike from 1pm to 5pm on the same day.
Germany: Public sector pauses strikes
German public sector works have entered an arbitration period after inconclusive talks over pay. It means that strikes which have hit the transport sector in recent weeks are suspended for now. However they could resume in late April. We’ll keep you updated.
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 62 to 64.
Protests broke out across the country after President Emmanuel Macron decided to push through the change without a parliamentary vote. Rubbish built up in Paris and was set on fire. Protesters have also clashed with police in the French capital.
The level of travel disruption on strike days has varied. However there have been flight and train cancellations and tourist attractions in Paris do sometimes close. So it is worth checking ahead of time if you’ll be travelling on a strike day.
France travel strikes in April and May
Following Macron’s address to the nation earlier this week, protests and mobilisations have been called for 20
There are expected to be walkouts on 28 April but details have yet to be announced.
1 May is France’s Labour Day which is a traditional day for labour union action. Unions have called for widespread protests and disruption to regular services is to be expected.
The left-wing leader of the La France Insoumise party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has said that the day will be “decisive”. The more moderate CFDT union has said that it will focus its efforts on “a big day of mobilisation on May 1st” instead of joining in on previous actions.
UK: When is the UK passport strike?
Although this strike doesn’t affect any transport services, it could stop you from taking a trip.
More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) including those working in Passport offices in England, Scotland and Wales are to walk out from 3 April until 5 May.
The strike will involve those working in Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport.
The Business Travel Association estimated that more than one million passport applications are due to be processed during the strike period. There are currently no plans to change official guidance stating that it takes up to 10 weeks to get a passport.
Scotland: Potential disruption at Glasgow airport
Security staff who work at Glasgow airport have been negotiating a pay rise. They have just rejected what the Unite union called a “derisory” offer of a 5% pay increase.
Consequently, Unite has warned there may be strikes at Glasgow airport during the busy summer holiday period which, they say, would cause “chaos”.
No potential strike dates have been announced at the time of writing.
If you know of a big strike happening in your country that we have missed, we’d love to hear from you via Twitter.
Source: Euro News
