The British rail system virtually shut down again on Saturday, and strikes struck the continent, suspending flights in Europe.
Tens of thousands of UK railroad workers have staged the latest all-day strikes on wages and employment security, hampering the weekend plans for those already hit by similar strikes on Tuesday and Thursday.
Only about one-fifth of the service is set to operate in a significantly reduced time, the service starts much later than usual and ends at 6:30 pm (1730 GMT). It is set.
The RMT Railroad Union argues that action is needed this week as wages hit their 40-year highs and are not keeping up with rising UK inflation.
We also want to withdraw the threat of forced redundancy.
RMT Secretary-General Mick Lynch said its members “stand up for all working people seeking salary increases and some employment security.”
“In the modern economy, workers need to be properly rewarded for their work, enjoy good conditions, and have the peace of mind that their work will not be robbed of them,” he added. ..
Andrew Haynes, Chief Executive Officer of Network Rail, said:
“Compared to normal Saturday service, some trains operate, trains depart late in the morning and end much earlier in the evening.”
-Airline strike-
The UK, like many parts of Europe, is suffering from rising inflation and stagnant economic growth, increasing the likelihood of a summer strike across the continent.
Staff from the budget Irish airline Ryanair staged strikes in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and Belgium on Saturday.
As a result, two flights between Lisbon and Brussels were canceled, but in Spain, the USO Transport Union said that 75 flights were canceled from six different locations.
The union also blamed the fact that the striking staff were replaced by workers brought from Morocco. This is a tactic that states it is illegal because it violates the right to strike.
In Belgium, the strike meant that only 41% of Ryanair’s flights departed Charleroi Airport near Brussels on Saturday. Since Friday, low-cost carriers have been forced to cancel Flight 127, an airport spokesman told AFP.
The situation in Belgium was further complicated by a three-day strike by Brussels Airlines staff ending Saturday. As a result, airlines owned by German giant Lufthansa have been forced to cancel 60% of their flights since Thursday.
-More Sunday cancellations-
Ryanair’s flight was also canceled in France on Saturday. Damien Mourgues of the SNPNC Union said 36 out of 80 flights were canceled due to a walkout by flight attendants.
Bordeaux and Marseille airports have announced that 9 and 12 flights will be canceled on Sunday, respectively.
In addition to travel issues in Europe, Austrian Airlines said on Saturday that 52 of its 360 scheduled flights had to be canceled due to an increase in Covid infections among staff.
“Our crew is ill and the number of cases of infectious diseases is increasing,” an airline spokeswoman told AFP.
The aviation sector struggled to recover from the pandemic, and the suspension of overseas travel led to mass dismissals.
Faced with a staff shortage, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was forced to announce earlier this month that it would limit the number of travelers and cancel the flight this summer.
Hundreds of flights have already been canceled due to shortages, and huge queues have offended travelers.
