Travelers planning to arrive or transfer at some major airports in Europe are advised to check the status of their flights before travelling, as they may be canceled or delayed due to protests from staff. The Schengenvisainfo portal has published a schedule of strikes in the transport sector that could disrupt the plans of travelers.
Workers across Europe are unhappy with high inflation rates, which have not been followed by wage increases by their employers. This led to strikes and, as a result, to the cancellation and rescheduling of flights. Tourists in countries such as Italy, Sweden, Spain and Germany are likely to face the effects of protests and travel inconvenience.
Sweden
Swedish Transport Workers Union Calls for Strikes July 3which will be held at the airports of Stockholm-Arlanda, Stockholm-Bromma and Gothenburg-Landvetter. Passengers at the last two airports on the list will probably not be able to fly at all as the strike is expected to affect all work done by security personnel. While only baggage scanners may be affected in Stockholm-Arlanda, travelers are advised to only carry carry-on luggage.
If no wage agreements are reached within a certain amount of time by the protesters, strikes will will continue on July 5, 7, 10 and 14. Tourists are advised to take this into account when planning flights.
Italy
Italian airlines, rail operators and public transport are expected to join together in a general strike that will hit tourists hard. On Friday, July 7, public transport officials will go on a 24-hour strike, and there will be delays and disruptions in everything from trains to ferries and subways.
Public transport will stop working July 6 midnight to July 7 early morning, and then again from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, leaving people with only a couple of hours to use public transport. In addition, ground staff at airports including Fiumicino in Rome, Malpensa in Milan and Amerigo Vespucci in Florence will also go on strike on July 7, causing delays.
Spain
A two-week strike began at Spanish airports on June 19, when the Spanish Airline Pilots' Union announced a third round of protests by employees of major carriers such as Air Europa and Air Nostrum, operated by Iberia. This resulted in the cancellation of 20% of flights and the delay of flights scheduled for that day.
Strikes at Spanish airports will take place every weekend until management and staff disagreements are resolved, but a certain minimum number of flights will still be served. Flight attendants are required by law to perform a certain amount of work despite strikes.
Germany
Salary negotiations with the German trade union EVG, which represents the interests of railway and transport workers , were not successful. This has led to numerous strikes expected to take place throughout the year and will affect Deutsche Bahn train operations.
There are no official strike dates, but union members are expected to vote for an indefinite strike that could start mid-July. Lufthansa pilots can also go on strike over pay disputes if their offers are rejected.
For those who care about a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “Cats have begun to become infected with bird flu.”