Christmas travel strikes are wreaking havoc across the continent. As aviation and rail unions threaten to leave travellers stranded from Spain to Scotland and beyond, it’s crucial to keep up with the latest holiday strike news.
Here is your breakdown of all of the travel strikes across Europe set for December and January.
International Eurostar Christmas Strikes
The Eurostar strikes previously scheduled for 16 and 18 December have been cancelled as talks over pay continue. The next potential international rail strikes, which include workers across the continent, still threaten disruptions during the busy travel days of 22 and 23 December. If union members aren’t satisfied with the final salary offers, rail travel across much of Europe will be majorly impacted.
Christmas Travel Strikes in France
Clément Beaune, France’s Transport Minister, says, “there will be trains, there will be planes” this Christmas. “I am quite confident that there will be no major disruptions,” the rail boss said. “We do not anticipate major disruptions in the air for departures on vacation.”
On the ground, we’re seeing a different story. Representatives from the French rail union are ready for action. The spokesperson for the inter-union National Collective ASCT, Nicolas Limon, asserted that conductors and ticket collectors are “not considered in the same way train drivers are, even though we work three weekends a month and sleep away from home ten nights a month.”
At the moment, these conductors and ticket collectors are planning to strike from 23 to 26 December and again from 30 December to 2 January. The negotiations, however, will continue until 23 December and leave open the possibility of cancellation.
Meanwhile, Air France cabin crew are negotiating their terms with threats of distributive strikes running from 22 December to 2 January.
Italian Christmas Travel Strikes
Local networks across Italy are planning Christmas strikes. Not only could these strikes have a major impact on the holidays but each region has different plans. As negotiations evolve locally, separate districts are choosing different dates for strikes.
Some areas are likely to proceed with business as usual while others will see major disruptions. It is important to check in with each local service provider to stay current on the latest changes.
Brussels Airport Strikes
Zaventem airport in Brussels is one of Belgium’s major travel hubs. During talks over energy price caps and salaries, baggage handlers and air traffic controllers announced plans to strike.
On 16 December, Brussels Airport (BRU) saw more than 50% of flights cancelled with major hits to Brussels Airlines travel routes. Currently, officials are expecting a 70 per cent drop in capacity.
Spain Airport Strikes
Finally, good news from Spanish officials as airport workers call off the Christmas strike. Spanish airport operators have agreed to cancel the strikes planned for late December and early January.
Are you up to date on the latest UK strike? Keep reading here.
