Friday, April 7, 2023
French nationwide strike against President Macron’s pension reforms has caused Eurostar to cancel two London-Paris trains.
Employees across Europe are also striking due to inflation not being matched by higher wages. Travellers are advised to check before they travel, as the walkouts are planned in many locations.
Spain
Unionised workers at ground services and cargo handling company Swissport have called for a series of 24-hour walkouts every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at some of Spain’s busiest airports from 27 Feb to 13 April. The strikes will affect Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Alicante, Valencia, Málaga, and other airports where Swissport provides services. Unions will provide minimum services required by Spanish law, and it is unclear how passengers will be affected.
Portugal
Portuguese immigration officials are set to strike from 6-10 April, potentially causing major disruptions at airports during the busy Easter weekend. Unions are protesting over the restructuring of Portugal’s immigration and border services. The UK Foreign Office has warned passengers to allow extra time for clearing border control and updated their travel advice to warn of forest fires and COVID mask requirements.
Germany
German public sector workers are in arbitration after failed talks on pay. Strikes that have disrupted transport are now suspended until after the Easter holiday. A “megastrike” earlier this week, the biggest in 30 years, caused widespread travel chaos. The unions represent a majority of transport workers.
France
French unions are protesting against President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the legal retirement age from 62 to 64. The protests have caused unrest across the country, with rubbish being set on fire in Paris and protesters clashing with police. Unions have called for an 11th day of protest, including in the transport sector, on Thursday 6 April.
Paris-Orly Airport
French ATC workers are joining the ongoing strikes in France, causing Ryanair to warn of possible delays and cancellations until 8 April. The French Civil Aviation Authority has advised airlines to cancel 20% of flights to several cities. Ryanair has cancelled 3,080 flights due to 30 days of strikes by French ATC workers. Passengers are advised to check with airlines before leaving for the airport.
Rail Strike
On 6 April, French state-owned rail company SNCF plans to run more services as normal than on previous strike days. Three out of four TGV services and one out of two TER trains will operate as scheduled. However, Intercités are still expected to face significant disruptions with only 25% of trains running and no night services. Additionally, local services will operate on a heavily reduced timetable. Eurostar is also attempting to run a “near normal” service, following the cancellation of two Paris-London return services earlier in the day.
United Kingdom
Over 1,400 security guards at London’s Heathrow Airport are on strike for 10 days from 31 March to 9 April, causing British Airways to cancel 32 flights per day. They are striking over low pay after rejecting an offer of a 10% pay increase. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union working in passport offices across the UK are due to walk out from 3 April until 5 May.
Monday, January 1, 2024
