Travel Chaos: Transport Strikes In The EU This March

Travel to Europe is largely free from coronavirus restrictions however travellers may have to contend with possible transport disruptions as airline, railway, and bus workers walk off the job over low wages and labour conditions.

After strikes caused disruption during the February school holidays, more industrial action is expected to hit industries from aviation to rail and urban metros in the run-up to Easter.

Here’s a look at how labour disruptions could affect travellers to the EU in the coming days.

Strikes at Major Spanish airports

Some of Spain’s busiest airports are facing strikes by unionised workers at ground services and cargo handling company Swissport between now and Easter.

From 27 February to 13 April, they called for a series of 24-hour walkouts every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Swissport, a Zurich-based company, provides ground-handling services for several major airlines at Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Reus, Alicante, Valencia, Murcia, Málaga, Almería, Salamanca, Valladolid, Burgos, Logroño, Zaragoza, Huesca, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife Sur airport.

Ongoing Strikes in France

Unions across France have been in an ongoing battle against plans to increase the legal retirement age from 62 to 64. The industrial action has previously included railway workers and airport staff with 30 percent of flights from Paris’s Orly airport cancelled on the last day of strikes.

On 7 March, unions are planning the biggest day of action yet and are promising to bring France to a complete standstill.

Belgium Rail Strike

Public transport across Belgium will be disrupted due to industrial action.

The rail strike will start on 09 March at 22:00 and end 24 hours later. Besides disruptions to the railway service, Brussels’ public transport network Stib/MIVB, Wallonie’s Tec, and Flanders’ De Lijn will also be affected.

Bus Drivers Strike in Finland

Bus drivers throughout Finland began to strike on 01 March during negotiations between the transport workers’ union and the national employers’ association. The strike action will last until 10 March.

What To Plan If Your Trip Is Affected

According to travel experts, the first thing to do is to check whether your trip might coincide with a planned strike and avoid travelling on those dates if possible.

Strike notices are typically posted weeks in advance thus travellers should do their own research rather than wait for airlines to share critical information. Travellers should check local news sites and set alerts for strike dates and make sure airlines have your updated contact information for last-minute changes.

To avoid travel hassles and potentially checked baggage fees charged by some airlines, travellers should be travelling with only a carry-on bag. Keep your phone and device charges in your hand luggage.

Travellers are also recommended to buy travel insurance. However, check the terms and conditions before purchase to see what is covered and if there is a financial limit or any other restriction. Some insurance companies may not offer coverage if strike dates have already been called by the time you buy the insurance.

Do you have plans to travel in the coming days? Talk to us in the comment section below. Or if you need more advice on the above, contact us for further travel & immigration advice.

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