February begins with these transport strikes in Europe

Industrial action and walkouts have become an almost daily part of the local socio-economic landscape

New month, new strikes in the European calendar. While the continent’s roads are in the grip of massive farmers’ protests, employees in vital transport sectors in different countries will also state their dissatisfaction with working conditions by walking out of their duties in the first week of February.

German and Finnish airports

On 1 February, some 25,000 employees working in the security sector at Germany’s major airports, such as Frankfurt and Berlin, will go on a strike for a day in demand of higher wages. As these people are responsible for all checks on passengers and baggage, it goes without saying that the ground operations in the airports will be severely disrupted even if flights aren’t cancelled.

Finnish airport workers are also unhappy and likewise will walk out on their duties on 1 and 2 February. Similarly, while flights aren’t expected to be cancelled Finnair expects that there will be a significant impact in terms of delays, so the airline will let passengers postpone their journeys if they wish to.

Back in Germany, on 2 February workers operating local public transport in cities, such as underground, buses and trams will go on a strike though in that case it doesn’t concern wages but rather a renegotiation of new collective agreements.

Will Paris be gripped by a 7-month megastrike?

If you thought that the German railway workers’ 6-day strike in January was a thing for the Guinness World Book of Records, then prepare to be shocked into stupor by the revelation that an unheard-of work boycott may grip the French capital for seven months this year.

Well, the trade union CGT-RATP, representing people working in the Ile-de-France bus and metro networks, and some of the tram lines, have given notice about a strike that could last from 5 February to 9 September!

Yes, the Olympic Games in Paris are still a few months away but there’s clearly a frenzy and the traditionally revolutionary-minded French transport workers are already stirring the pot by using the event and the tourist crowds expected to descend as leverage. And yes, it is about asking for higher wages – high enough to meet the inflation that is expected to accompany the Olympic Games event.