Travel News

Belgian commuters struggled to get to work Monday as a one-day nationwide strike disrupted public transport and international rail links.

The country's three main unions called the strike to demand higher pay amid high inflation and increased living costs.

"We had to send a warning to the government and employers," said Rudy de Leeuw, head of the ABVV union. "They have to explain to us how it was able to get so bad. What we need is purchasing power, work and good services."

Commuter rail, tram and bus services were not operating Monday and police reported backed up traffic on roads in many parts of the country. Union officials said the strike was also likely to affect postal services.

High-speed train services run by Eurostar and Thalys from Brussels to London, Amsterdam, Cologne and Paris were also affected.

"Not a single Thalys train will be operational due to the strike in Belgium," said Violaine Tennstedt, a Thalys spokeswoman.

Car plant and dock workers in the port city of Antwerp also joined picket lines. Business groups said they would take unions to court if they tried to block people or deliveries at companies Monday.

Source: nytimes.com

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German unions called on Tuesday for airport and rail service strikes across the country which could disrupt travel for millions and hurt the economy.

reuters.com

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Italy struggled through a transportation meltdown on Friday, a reminder of the disruptions of daily life that crop up regularly in this beautiful nation to make life decidedly unpleasant.

nytimes.com

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A bitter, three-day strike by train drivers in Germany has tied up freight traffic, shut down an auto factory, and stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers in what has become the largest work stoppage in the history of the German state railroad system.

iht.com

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A strike by French transport workers entered a second day on Thursday, causing widespread disruption despite moves by the government and unions to launch negotiations over contested pension reform.

news.yahoo.com (page not found)

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A strike in Italy to protest the government's budget and welfare policies caused flight cancellations, traffic disruptions and a reduction in public services Friday.

nytimes.com

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Paris Metro and bus workers announced on Thursday that they would join strikes next week protesting President Nicolas Sarkozy's proposed pension reforms.

nytimes.com

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French transport and energy workers, energized by the biggest strikes in more than a decade, announced new walkout plans Wednesday to push their protest against President Nicolas Sarkozy's cost-cutting reforms.

nytimes.com

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A strike by public sector workers, which is expected to shut down significant portions of the French transportation system Thursday, will create ripple effects for travelers elsewhere in Europe.

nytimes.com

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Thousands of German commuters jumped in their cars or packed buses on Friday, as 1,500 train drivers staged strikes in an effort to disrupt the nation's vast commuter network. More than 1,700 regional trains - about 50 percent of Germany's commuter rolling stock - did not run, railway operator Deutsche Bahn AG said.

nytimes.com

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A proposed 24-hour strike by maintenance workers at Heathrow and Gatwick airports has been called off.

news.bbc.co.uk

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London Underground passengers suffered travel chaos when workers went ahead with a 72-hour strike causing the cancellation of most Tube services.

guardian.co.uk (page not found)

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British rail protest group, More Trains Less Strain, is considering a nationwide fare strike to protest overcrowding on the country's most congested rail services.

guardian.co.uk

Labels: More Trains Less Strain, overcrowding, strike

Staff at the Louvre museum in Paris have gone on strike, claiming that the stress of looking after the Mona Lisa and other popular masterpieces such as the Venus de Milo warrants bonus pay.

bbc.co.uk

Labels: Louvre, Mona Lisa, strike

Thousands of Britons have had their holidays disrupted by a strike at Barcelona's El Prat airport which saw oil spread on the runway and set alight by ground staff.

travel.timesonline.co.uk

Labels: Barcelona, strike