Flights in Europe are disrupted and Britain’s railway system has once again ended up at a standstill with the increasing strikes in the travel sector across the continent.
On Tuesday and Thursday, thousands of UK rail workers staged a day-long walkout over wages and job security, hampering travel plans and commute for people already hit by existing strikes.
Only one-fifth of the services are still operating at heavily reduced hours.
Also read | As biggest rail strike in 30 years starts, UK PM Boris Johnson seeks ‘sensible compromise’
In a statement, Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said,
“Unfortunately, the RMT’s decision to carry out another day of needless and premature strike action means our passengers will suffer again on Saturday. A fraction of trains will run compared to a usual Saturday service, with trains starting later in the morning and finishing much earlier in the evening.”
The RMT rail union necessitates the actions being taken by them this week because of the failure of their wages to keep pace with the rising UK inflation which has already hit a 40-year high.
RMT secretary-general Mick Lynch told AFP, “In a modern economy, workers need to be properly rewarded for their work, enjoy good conditions and have the peace of mind that their job will not be taken away from them.”
Airline strikes
Similar to much of Europe, Britain is experiencing issues due to the skyrocketing inflation and stagnant economic growth that has raised the prospect of a summer full of strikes throughout the continent.
On Saturday, staff from the Irish airline, Ryanair held strikes in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, and Belgium. The strike resulted in the cancellation of two flights between Lisbon and Brussels.
Watch | UK braces for the 3rd day of rail strikes as no deal with the rail union reached yet
Similarly, in Spain, the USO transport union announced that nearly 75 flights had been cancelled from six different locations. The union also denounced the fact that striking staff had been replaced by workers from Morocco. The workers claimed that it was a tactic that they consider illegal because it violates their right to strike.
In Belgium, the walkout on Saturday led to only 41 per cent of Ryanair flights leaving Charleroi airport.
Since Friday, Ryanair has cancelled 127 flights with no other option left, AFP reported quoting an airport spokeswoman.
The situation has become excessively complicated in Belgium with a three-day strike by Brussels Airlines staff ending Saturday. This has forced the German-owned carrier, to cancel close to 60 per cent or 300 of its flights since Thursday.
On Saturday, Austria Airlines also claimed that it had to cancel 52 out of 360 scheduled flights due to a rise in Covid infections among its staff.
Also read | Strike to ground quarter of flights at Paris airport
A spokeswoman for the airline told AFP, “Our crew members are sick, and cases of infection are rising.”
The aviation industry in Europe is experiencing staff shortages and is also struggling to recover from the pandemic which has resulted in hundreds of flights being cancelled and huge queues at airports that have angered travellers across the continent.
(with inputs from agencies)
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