Strikes All Throughout Europe This Easter - What To Know

Many European workers are now on strike because they feel that rising prices have not been reflected in salary increases.

 

Protests are being organised all around Europe, so it's best to double-check your plans before heading to your destination. Also, it is good to know that you are entitled to a replacement ticket or reimbursement in the event of a flight or train cancellation or delay. Here's what we know about the walkouts thus far.

Government workers in Germany have suspend the strikes for now

Due to the failure of wage negotiations in Germany's public sector, an arbitration period has begun. This basically puts a stop to the strikes that have plagued the transportation industry in recent weeks, at least until after the high volume Easter vacation season.

This week, a "mega-strike" disrupted transportation for many people. The two largest transportation unions in the nation have called for a strike, which would affect the vast majority of transportation employees in the country. It was the largest walkout in Germany in more than 30 years, and it brought the country's transportation system to a halt.

17 airports in Spain are affected by strikes

Employees at ground services and cargo handling business Swissport are planning strikes at several of Spain's major hubs until Easter. Every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for 24 hours, until April 13 will be affected by protests. Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Reus, Alicante, Valencia, Murcia, Málaga, Almera, Salamanca, Valladolid, Burgos, Logroo, Zaragoza, Huesca, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife Sur are some of the airports that Swissport Handling operates.

The effect of the strikes on passengers is unclear at this time since unions are compelled by Spanish legislation to provide minimal services to customers.

The situation in France

Travellers to France should be aware of the continuing pension demonstrations. French unions have been fighting against a rise in the minimum retirement age. President Emmanuel Macron's decision to push the measure without a legislative vote has sparked protests throughout the nation. Paris's garbage pileup led to an arson attack. In France's capital city, Paris, protesters and police have conflicted.

On Thursday, April 6th, unions have called for a further day of protest action in a variety of industries, including transportation.

Strikes by workers in air traffic control cause delays in taking off and landing.

A total of 20% of flights to Bordeaux, Marseille, Nantes, and Toulouse were cancelled on 6 April after being urged to do so once again by the French Civil Aviation Authority. These disruptions will not impact flights departing from Paris-Orly Airport.

Ryanair has informed customers that flights to, from, or over France may be delayed or cancelled until April 8 due to the participation of air traffic controllers (ATC) in the strikes. Vacation flights to other major European and African locations may be included. The budget airline also reports that 3,080 flights would be cancelled in 2023 because of a 30-day strike by French ATC employees. Ryanair promises to contact all impacted customers as quickly as possible and that they consult the company's mobile app for the most recent information on this matter.

Before heading to the airport, passengers are urged to double-check with their airline to make sure their flight is still operating as planned.

Train travel might be disrupted as well.

The French national railway corporation SNCF has announced that, unlike previous strike days, a greater number of regular trains would be running on 6 April.

But with barely a quarter of trains operating and no night solutions, Intercités are still expected to see significant disruptions. The local schedule will be drastically cut as well.

Easter disruptions in the UK are also anticipated

Over the Easter weekend, 1,400 security personnel at London's Heathrow Airport will be striking.

Terminal 5 security officers are striking for ten days, beginning March 31 and ending April 9. This terminal serves as British Airways' primary gateway and is where many foreign planes arrive and leave.

Managers at Heathrow say operations are normal. Departing passengers from Terminal 5 should arrive no more than two hours before to flights to Europe and no sooner than three hours prior to flights to the rest of the world. If you are departing from one of Heathrow's other terminals, this strike is not expected to interrupt your journey.

After rejecting a 10% wage raise offered by the airport, security personnel went on strike over inadequate compensation.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, claims that Heathrow employees are paid "economic rates while the CEO and upper management enjoy huge incomes. The union claims that a Heathrow security guard might make as low as £24,000 annually.

According to the union, Easter expects significant disruptions in air travel.

Heathrow has said that it would remain "open and operational despite unnecessary threats of strike action by Unite," so passengers shouldn't worry about the airport closing.

More than 300 flights are scheduled to be cancelled by British Airways as a result of the inconvenience. Passengers will be offered a range of alternatives, including rebooking or obtaining a full reimbursement.

British Passport Office strike

From April 3rd through May 5th, more than a thousand members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), including those working at Passport offices across England, Scotland, and Wales, are planning to go on strike.

Employees in the cities of Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough, and Southport will all be joining the labour dispute.

According to the Business Travel Association, over a million passport applications are scheduled to be handled during the boycott. The present recommendation that passport applications may take up to 10 weeks will not be altered anytime soon.

Despite the five-week strike, Heathrow Airport has promised to keep operating normally. As far as anybody knows, no last-minute cancellations have been made because of these strikes, and a spokeswoman has confirmed that the backup plans are working effectively.

Border disruption is possible also in Portugal

Beginning on April 6th, Portuguese immigration officers will go on strike for six days. The news agency LUSA reports that the strike has been strategically scheduled to fall in line with the hectic Easter holiday, which might lead to major disruptions at terminals.

Workers in Portugal are striking because of proposed changes to the country's immigration and border protection agencies.

Passengers are being urged to grant extra time for border control clearance, listen for announcements and comply with instructions from their airline or travel agency.

 

Source: euronews.com