Europe’s travel strikes: Flight and train disruption you can expect in July in Italy, elsewhere

Rome: Strikes are a regular occurrence in Europe, as employees withhold their labour to fight for better pay and conditions.

Walkouts are sometimes planned months ahead but others are announced last minute, showing that it always pays to check before you travel.

Luckily, we have gathered all of the strike information together below.

Read on to find out where and when are walkouts taking place.

If your flight or train is cancelled or delayed, you will be entitled to a new ticket or compensation. Read our guide for the full details.

Unionised staff at various airports across Italy plan to strike on 5 July.

Affected airports include Bologna, Crotone, Lamezia Terme, Milan, Reggio Calabria, Rome and Venice, with walk outs hitting at different times of day. Disruption to flights is likely.

Pilots for Ireland’s flag carrier Aer Lingus began an indefinite ‘work-to-rule’ strike on 26 June. This means they will not work outside of their set hours or accept changes to their schedules. About 400 flights have been cancelled up until 7 July.

Ongoing pay talks have seen formal intervention from the country’s Labour Court, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday 3 July.

Affected passengers will be notified by text or email but if you have a booking with the airline, it’s best to check your flight status before you leave home.

Workers at London Gatwick Airport will walk out later this month in a dispute over pay.

Around 300 security and passenger services staff will strike from 12-14 July and 18-21 July. It could delays in baggage screening and affect passengers in need of special assistance.

Further action could take place over the busy summer holidays if the dispute is not settled.

CGT-RATP union members announced a seven-month strike notice from 5 February to 9 September that could hit the Ile-de-France bus and metro network – including during this summer’s Olympic Games.

However, the French Senate adopted a bill on 9 April to allow the state to ban transport strikes for set periods each year to avoid disruption during major events like Paris 2024. It also calls for more advance warning of strikes and increased minimum service obligations.

The bill faces opposition and must be adopted by the French National Assembly before it becomes law.

Workers at the state-owned public transport company say they are walking out over pay.

A public transport strike has been announced in the Netherland’s biggest cities on 12 September, with more walk outs possible.

It comes ahead of the Cabinet’s budget proposal, which workers hope will include plans to allow those in physically demanding jobs to retire earlier. Services in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam will be impacted.