Travel is set to be heavily impacted by industrial action during the busy festive period this year.
Rail and aviation unions are threatening strikes throughout December and January across Europe. It’s likely to cause disruption as people attempt to get home for the holidays.
So where are strikes taking place in Europe this Christmas?
International rail services: Eurostar strikes over Christmas
More than 100 Eurostar security staff are set to strike in the run up to Christmas. They will walk out on 16, 18, 22 and 23 December with the RMT union saying industrial action will “severely affect” trains.
Eurostar and Mitie, the company that employs the security staff, says it will update passengers with any impact to services.
What strikes are happening in Belgium this Christmas?
ACV Puls and CNE unions have told budget airline Ryanair that “staff will express their anger” over the festive season if their demands over the treatment of workers aren’t met.
They are considering strike action over Christmas after the budget airline closed its base of operations in the country, forcing staff to work elsewhere in Europe. Exact strike dates have yet to be confirmed.
What strikes are happening in France this Christmas?
Train conductors and ticket collectors in France are threatening to strike because, according to Limon, they 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.”
They are seeking higher salaries and for bonuses to be taken into account in pension calculations.
Train conductors and ticket collectors have filed notice threatening to strike 23-26 December and 30 December-2 January. However, whether these go ahead is dependent on negotiations. Meetings are planned from 8-22 December.
Workers with France’s national rail service SNCF also plan to walk out on 7 December before the start of annual salary negotiations. Passengers can expect disruption on some regional trains as well as on TGV and Intercity services, according to an announcement from the national rail service.
The Paris-Lyon route as well as TGV services south of Bordeaux are expected to be worst affected. A full timetable of disruptions from strike action will be available at 5pm on 6 December.
Cabin crew for Air France have also issued a provisional notice for strikes between 22 December and 2 January. Whether these walkouts will go ahead is dependent on pay negotiations.
What strikes are happening in Portugal this Christmas?
On 8 and 9 December, cabin crew for TAP Air will strike over wage cuts, staff shortages and poor working conditions.
The airline has already announced the cancellation of 360 flights and the walkout is likely to affect around 50,000 passengers across Portugal.
What strikes are happening in Spain this Christmas?
USO and SITCPLA union members from Ryanair cabin crew based in Spain have been on strike for five months.
The action started on 8 August and will run until 7 January, from Monday to Thursday every week. It’s likely to affect journeys from airports including Alicante, Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga.
But Ryanair has said it doesn’t expect that the strike will cause that much disruption for passengers.
Vueling cabin crew who are members of the Stalva union are also taking part in prolonged walkouts. Strikes are taking place on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and public holidays from 1 November to 31 December.
The airline says that the industrial action will cause minimal disruption for passengers.
What strikes are happening in the UK this Christmas?
Rail strikes are taking place in the UK throughout December and into January. The Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union (RMT) announced that its 40,000 members will walk out for eight days during the festive season.
The dates of the strike will be 13-14 and 16-17 December as well as 3-4 and 6-7 January. Nearly every train operator will be impacted as RMT members at National Rail and 14 train companies go on strike.
RMT has also announced that workers will walk out from 6pm on 24 December until 27 as the row over pay escalates.
Just one in five trains is expected to run on strike days and on the days either side — known as ‘shoulder days’ — services will run at around 60 per cent of normal.
It’s likely that timetables will be adjusted to cope with the walkout so make sure to check if your train is still running before you travel.
Hundreds of baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport are also walking out over the Christmas period. They are on strike for 72 hours from 4am on 16 December.
The Unite union expects that it will cause some disruption for passengers in the run-up to the busy festive period.
Members of Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union, which represents Passport Office and Border Force staff, have also voted for a strike over Christmas. It is yet to confirm dates but this action could lead to queues at airports and ports.