Strikes almost the order of the day: Not least in view of the blatant shortage of staff in the entire travel industry, work stoppages are currently experiencing a boom. While large parts of the industry were almost at a standstill for a long time due to the pandemic, the travel machine is now practically running at full speed again.

However, the employees are often anything but satisfied. The company A3M, which specializes in early warning of crises, has therefore taken a closer look at the situation.

Strikes in the rail, plane and taxi segments

Strikes are currently affecting many areas of the travel chain. In rail transport, for example, they are currently booming in Great Britain. Just two weeks ago, a work stoppage there had largely paralyzed the country. Even the London Tube was affected by the walkout. There are also said to be strikes this week – including on the Stansted Express, which connects the airport of the same name with the British capital.

In France, too, some "railway workers" are downing their work this week. Regions across the country are affected. On July 10, there is also a threat of ground staff at Paris airports walking out. Marseille has just had a walkout in the past few days – several unions have called for this.

In Spain, air travelers also have to be prepared for cancellations and delays. There there are strikes at the low-cost airline EasyJet on individual weekends until the end of July. In neighboring Portugal, restrictions on rail traffic are possible throughout the month - throughout the national territory. In Italy, on the other hand, nationwide strikes by taxi operators are threatening this week. Last but not least, there have recently been repeated announcements in Scandinavian air traffic - most recently in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

Strike mainly a European phenomenon

Strikes in the transport sector have a long tradition, particularly in Europe. A3M has produced a map of strikes with a high or very high impact on travelers (period: past 5 years). The focus here is clearly on the European continent – ​​there above all in France, Spain and Italy. Work stoppages in rail and air traffic are also not unfamiliar experiences for Germans. Strikes are also often the order of the day in South America. In contrast, they are a largely rare phenomenon in the USA and Canada. In Asia, too, they tend to be the exception. According to the company, strikes are primarily a phenomenon of western democracies. In authoritarian countries, they are naturally much more difficult to implement.