Strikes in May and June: Here's the disruption expected in Europe (2023)

FAQs

What are the strikes in Europe about? ›

Europe's travel strikes in May and June: When are they and where will be affected? Workers across Europe are walking out to protest low pay and poor working conditions. Europe is a hive of strike action right now, with many employees unhappy that sky-high inflation has not been matched by higher wages.

Why have railway workers been on strike? Unions say any pay offer should reflect the rising cost of living - with the inflation rate currently above 10%. But the rail industry is under pressure to save money, after the pandemic left a hole in its finances.

29-31 March 2023 | The SNCF unions decided to continue with the strike. 6 April 2023 | The SNCF unions decided to join the National General strike on 6 April 2023. 13 April 2023 | The SNCF unions decided to join the National General strike on 13 April 2023.

The 14 April 2023, 9:00 am - 17:00 am, one is expected national strike of the staff of Trenitalia, organized by the unions Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl Ferrovieri, Sml Fast Confsal and Orsa Ferrovie. The announcement of the stop was given by a company note and from the website Guarantee Fee.

Introduction. In the European Union (EU), stroke is the second most common cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability. It affects ≈1.1 million inhabitants of Europe every year² and causes 440 000 deaths.

A prolonged rail strike could create all types of shortages, from gasoline to food to automobiles, and cause a spike in the prices of all types of consumer goods. It can screw up the commutes of tens of thousands of workers who take the train to work, slow the delivery of parts and force factories to shut down.

Another recent report put together by a chemical industry trade group projected that if a strike drags on for a month some 700,000 jobs would be lost as manufacturers who rely on railroads shut down, prices of nearly everything would increase even more and the economy could be thrust into a recession.

When are the next train strikes? Three upcoming rail strikes have been announced. Certain train operators will be impacted on Wednesday 31st May, Friday 2nd June and Saturday 3rd June 2023. This is also likely to impact some services on the mornings after the strikes.

Amtrak Won't Go On Strike But Is Negatively Impacted

These parties are currently in a 60-day cooling-off period that expires at 12:01 am EST on September 16, 2022.

Is it safe to go Paris now? ›

France's national security threat alert is at the medium level 'Reinforced Security – Threat risk'. There's a risk of terrorist attacks in France. Attacks could be indiscriminate.

Jump on a coach. Coach services like Megabus and National Express are still operating across the country throughout the strikes. Unlike the trains, if you secure yourself a coach ticket, then you're 100% guaranteed that you'll have a seat for the journey - a must-have if you're on a 5 hour long coach trip!

The 50-hour strike that had been called to start on Sunday evening across Germany's rail network has been averted after the union and rail operator Deutsche Bahn came to a compromise.

All seats on Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca & InterCity trains are reserved, so they can in theory sell out. However, as there are so many trains each with hundreds of seats there are almost always places available on most trains even just before departure.

When will the rail strikes end? Unless a deal on pay, job security and working conditions is reached between unions and rail operators, it's likely that strikes could continue for the rest of 2023.

The period of 2020-2021 offers data for only two years, with no data for some countries. France (79 days) had the highest annual average lost days due to strikes, followed by Belgium (57 days), Norway (50 days), and Denmark and Finland (49 days each).

Strikes in Italy: The Basics. Strikes in Italy are common, and could definitely affect your trip. Strikes are so common in fact, that one of the first words I learned after moving to Italy was sciopero, the Italian word for “strike”.

Strikes are rare in Switzerland due to a long tradition of avoiding industrial conflict through negotiation. The collective bargaining agreement sets out conditions of employment for workers.

The largest strike in U.S. history was the Steel Strike of 1959, which lasted 116 days between July and November of 1959. The strike involved half a million workers and members of the United Steelworks of America union due to a dispute over wages and changes to workplace rules.

In September 2010, a five-day pilot strike against discount travel company Spirit Airlines grounded the company's fleet, leaving passengers stranded and the airline forced to issue refunds, according to a MSNBC report. The strike cost the company $19 million, according to Air Transport World magazine.

What was the bloodiest strike? ›

One of the most notorious incidents of violence against management occurred in 1892 during the Homestead Strike—one of the most violent industrial disputes in American history—when Alexander Berkman attempted to assassinate Henry Clay Frick, chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company and manager of the mill where the ...

A strike would snarl supply chains ahead of the busy holiday season. A potential strike could cost $2 billion a day in lost economic output, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Rail unions engaged in brief strikes in both 1991 and 1992, but Congress used the Railway Labor Act to halt them, ordering workers back on the job and imposing a contract upon the workers.

Rail is critical to the entire goods side of the economy, including manufacturing, warehousing, retail and agriculture. If a rail strike lasts more than three to four weeks, the prices of goods would likely jump again, further exacerbating inflation, according to economist Mark Zandi.

Trains haul soybeans, corn, and grain which are used in things like cooking oil, flour and hygiene products. If trains stop running because of a strike, it could be hard to find these items in a store.

Railroads such as Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX and Norfolk Southern carry cars, coal, chemicals, grain, imported goods and other products and raw materials throughout the country. A shutdown — even a brief one — would delay critical shipments and ripple across the economy.

America's freight railroads are almost entirely privately owned and operated. Unlike trucks and barges, freight railroads operate overwhelmingly on infrastructure they own, build, maintain and pay for themselves.

Update: 9 September 2022

Train drivers will strike on Thursday September 15 and Saturday 17 September 2022 as part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions on the railway. There will also be another strike for 24 hours from midday on Monday September 26 until midday on Tuesday September 27 2022.

How much notice will you give for a strike? Unions are obliged to give us at least 14 days' notice of any strike action.

According to Amtrak, the cancellations are the result of a rail industry control system that continues to experience intermittent communication issues.

Why is Amtrak cancelling routes? ›

Amtrak said it is canceling all long-distance trips starting on Thursday amid a looming railway strike that could disrupt the U.S. economy, resulting in lost productivity of $2 billion a day. The potential work stoppage stems from a labor dispute between railroad companies and their unionized workforces.

If you train is canceled, your fare is refundable or you can reschedule your trip. To reschedule your reservation please call us at 1-800-872-7245, press "0" to bypass the automated menu. If your reservation was made online you can also change it online. Reservations can also be modified at any staffed Amtrak station.

American passport holders are not required to obtain a visa prior to visiting France for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Is London safer than Paris? Both are considered to be safe cities overall. Although London has a higher crime rate than Paris, it is focused on property crime. Whereas, Paris has a higher rate of pickpocketing and scams, especially targeting tourists in popular tourist areas.

If you have an advance ticket booked for a strike day and your service is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, you are entitled to a change or refund. You'll need to contact the original retailer of your ticket to get your money back.

“Unfortunately, if no agreement is reached, VIA Rail will be forced to suspend all services for the duration of the strike and until normal operations can safely resume. We recognize that this would be a major disruption for our passengers and for communities across the country.

The next postal strike is planned for Wednesday, 31st August 2022.

Summer saw lowest train punctuality rates

In a statement on its website, Deutsche Bahn blamed its trains' perpetual lateness on outdated materials and building projects.

North American rail volume decline continues through first 18 weeks of 2023. Through the first 18 weeks of 2023 (ending May 6), total North American carload and intermodal traffic dipped 4% from the same point last year, according to the Association of American Railroads' (AAR) May 10 report.

Why are train strikes still happening? ›

Why have railway workers been on strike? Unions say any pay offer should reflect the rising cost of living - with the inflation rate currently above 10%. But the rail industry is under pressure to save money, after the pandemic left a hole in its finances.

Italy's best travel months are May, June, September, and October. They're also the busiest and most expensive time to visit (with the north remaining just as busy throughout midsummer). Crowds aside, these months combine the convenience of peak season with pleasant weather.

Beverages available include coffee, soft drinks, water, wine, and beer. You can browse a fuller menu here. Separate restaurant cars are more common on longer train trips—particularly long-haul international trains—and on newer, high-speed trains.

There is typically one bathroom per train car on Italian trains. On newer trains, and especially high-speed trains, they are more spacious than what you might find on an airplane and offer the same basic features as those of a plane lavatory - a flushable toilet, sink with running water, soap, and paper towels.

Contruction is underway on California High Speed Rail (CHSR,) a high-speed system between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Meanwhile, construction is progressing on another high-speed line through the San Joaquin Valley.

Brightline West will be the most elegant travel by rail experience you can have in America, and it will be the catalyst for America's renaissance of travel by high-speed rail. The High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition is ready to bring this transformative transportation project to Americans.

For strike action from Friday 12 May to Saturday 3 June 2023

Tickets for Friday 12 May or Saturday 13 May can be used on Thursday 11 May or up to and including Tuesday 16 May. Tickets for Wednesday 31 May can be used on Tuesday 30 May or up to and including Monday 5 June.

Unionized public transport workers plan to strike across five of Germany's 16 regions on May 4 in a dispute over increased pay awards. The United Services Union (Verdi) organized the industrial action as part of an ongoing campaign.

They occur when working people withhold their labour to bargain for better pay and conditions. Pay disputes have been the most common cause of strikes in the years for which we have comparable data.

The FISI and USB unions have called for a nationwide public and private sector strike on May 26 as part of a dispute over pay and privatization. The strike will impact public transport, sanitation, healthcare, educational, and local government services.

What is the crisis of the European union? ›

Since the beginning of the eurozone crisis in 2009, the EU has experienced a series of challenges, including a massive influx of refugees, Brexit, the coronavirus pandemic, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is safe to predict that this era of crises will continue for a number of years.

More than 100,000 members of the union went on strike April 19 after the union and government failed to reach agreement on replacing contracts that expired in 2021.

Airports in Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne-Bonn and Stuttgart were hit by strikes late last week, with Monday scheduled to be Berlin's turn. At the weekend, German government officials and labor unions reached a pay deal for more than 2.5 million public sector workers.