Table of Contents
Our guide is updated as soon as a new European strike is announced.
ADVERTISEMENTStrikes 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.
UK: Heathrow Border Force worker strikes in April and May
Border Force workers at London’s Heathrow Airport are walking out from 29 April to 2 May over plans to lay off staff. This could cause major disruption for international arrivals.
A smaller scale ‘work to rule’ strike between 3-18 May could cause further disruption.
The UK’s biggest airport is also bracing for a week-long strike in May when almost 800 staff in various departments will walk out. The strike will run from 7-13 May and is could cause serious disruption.
In brighter news, the threat of a strike by refuelling workers over the bank holiday weekend (4-6 May) has been called off after workers reached a deal on pay and conditions.
Gatwick Airport: Catering workers to strike on easyJet and TUI flights
Passengers on easyJet and TUI flights departing from London’s Gatwick Airport will be left hungry as Dnata catering workers go on strike.
Around 100 workers, including HGV drivers and warehouse workers, will strike from 26-29 April, 3-6 May and 10-13 May. Strike action will intensify if the dispute over pay is not resolved, the Unite union has threatened.
Train strikes in April and May
While there is no national train strike planned in the UK, various localised action is planned for April.
London Underground workers have called an overtime ban from 29 April to 5 May that could cause station closures.
Members of train drivers’ union ASLEF are set to strike on 8 May, as well as taking part in an overtime ban from 6-11 May, which is likely to mean cancellations on some lines.
Impacted services include Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains.
Belgium: Strike at Charleroi Airport
Brussels’ Charleroi Airport will be hit by a 24-hour strike on Thursday 2 May.
Called over working conditions, the walkout could impact almost 100 flights. Negotiations are ongoing with the airport’s management to address workers’ concerns.
France: Could strikes hit Paris Olympics?
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.
ADVERTISEMENTHowever, 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.
Germany: Threat of various strikes ends
On 25 March, Deutsche Bahn reached an agreement with Germany’s GDL train drivers’ union, bringing an end to five months of negotiations and strikes.
The deal means that GDL will abstain from strikes until at least February 2026.
ADVERTISEMENTGerman union Verdi has also called off strikes at various German airports after reaching a pay deal.
If you know of a big strike happening in your country that we have missed, we’d love to hear from you via Twitter.
