Germany and Italy: Travel strikes planned for August and September

Our travel guide is updated as soon as a new European strike is announced.

Strikes 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.
Pilots and cabin crew of Lufthansa-owned airline Discover voted in favour of strike action in two separate ballots and now the dates of the walkouts have been confirmed.
Pilots and cabin crew will walk ut from 27-30 August and all Discover departures from Germany will be affected.
In a statement, Discover said: “The trade unions Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) and the Independent Flight Attendants’ Organisation (UFO) have called for strikes on all Discover Airlines flights from August 27th until the 30th at midnight. We are working to minimise the impact on our guests. Please check your current flight status regularly and enter your contact details in your booking.”
The airline has a fleet of 27 planes operating routes from Frankfurt, where it is based, and Munich to holiday destinations around Europe and overseas.
Italy’s transport sector is forbidden from going on strike between 27 July and 5 September, when most Italians take their holidays, meaning disruption at the height of the summer is unlikely.
After that date, a number of strikes are planned.
If you are flying to, from or across Italy on 7 September you may experience delays or cancellations.
Pilots and cabin staff at Italy’s flagship carrier ITA Airways and budget airline Wizz Air plan to strike from 1-5pm. 
Air traffic controllers at Rome Fiumicino and Olbia Airport, and baggage handlers at Milan Malpensa, Florence Amerigo Vespucci and Pisa Galileo Galilei plan to walk out over the same four-hour period.
Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority’s website will be updated with further details on possible disruption closer to 7 September.
Train passengers in Italy may experience disruption on Sunday 8 September as drivers, conductors and other on-oard staff around Italy plan to strike for 24 hours. 
The protest could impact both regional trains and long-distance services operated by state-owned Trenitalia and private company Italo.
Public transport passengers may face delays and/or cancellations on Monday 9 September as staff at bus, tram and commuter train operators around the country plan to strike for eight hours. 
The timing and impact of the strike, which is backed by some of Italy’s main transport unions, will vary from city to city. 
Another public transport strike, this one lasting 24 hours, is planned for 20 September.
Security staff strikes at Alicante-Elche airport in Spain have been extended.
Originally a five-day strike from 1-4 August, further dates have now been added: 15, 16, 17, 18, 30 and 31 August.
The airport serving the Costa Blanca will be affected between 8.30am-9.30am and 6pm-7pm local time.
British holiday company Jet2, which uses the airport for its package holidays, posted on its website: “The strike is supported by security services at the airport and will affect congestion at security control.” They advised passengers to arrive at the airport in plenty of time.
However airport operator Aena said there have yet to be significant delays to Alicante’s operations.
Trains in Scotland could be delayed or cancelled if proposed strikes go ahead.
ScotRail’s 1,300 drivers are going to vote on whether to go on strike or take other action. They are in a pay dispute with union Aslef.
ScotRail runs trains between big tourist destinations like Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness.
Dates for the potential strikes have not yet been announced.
Workers on France’s Autoroutes du Sud (ASF) and Vinci motorways have begun a summer of strikes in protest over falling staff numbers.
Weekend walkouts earlier this month hit holidaymakers heading out on their first trips of the summer break.
It is not yet clear whether further strike action will take place in the coming weeks.
A public transport strike has been announced in the Netherlands’ biggest cities on 12 September, with more walkouts possible.
It comes ahead of the Cabinet’s budget proposal, which workers hope will include plans to allow those in physically demanding jobs to retire earlier.
Services in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam will be impacted.
If you know of a big strike happening in your country that we have missed, we’d love to hear from you via Twitter.