Category: strikes

UK Rail Industry Pay Compares Favourably With Private Sector: Report

Pay and conditions for British rail workers compare favourably with those of private sector employees, a report commissioned by the UK’s rail regulator has found. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) commissioned independent consultants to establish whether employment costs for more than 64,000 railway workers are higher or lower than “market comparators.” The study…


Royal Mail Workers to Launch 48-hour Strike as Pay Dispute Escalates

Union members at Royal Mail will launch a 48-hour strike on Friday in an escalating dispute over pay. According to the Communication Workers Union (CWU), the walkout by around 115,000 of its members will be the biggest strike in the UK this year. In a major escalation of the dispute, the union has announced a…


British Rail Passengers Advised to ‘Only Travel If Absolutely Necessary’ During Strikes

Passengers are urged to plan their journey and “only travel if absolutely necessary” as tens of thousands of rail workers are set to strike again on Thursday and Saturday. Network Rail, which owns and develops railway infrastructure across Britain, confirmed that only about one-fifth of Britain’s rail network will remain open on strike days, and lines…


Union Boss Threatens to Cut Funding Over UK Labour Party’s Stance on Strikes

The UK Labour Party’s biggest union donor has threatened to withdraw funding from the party over its refusal to support strike actions. In an interview with The Observer newspaper, Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, said Labour is becoming “irrelevant to workers” and the party’s leadership under Sir Keir Starmer is in effect…


Lufthansa Cancels Over 1,000 Flights Due to Ground Staff Walkout

BERLIN—Deutsche Lufthansa said it was cancelling more than 1,000 flights ahead of a one-day walkout by ground staff scheduled for Wednesday, just as families across Germany head off on their summer holidays. Strikes and staff shortages have already forced airlines including Lufthansa to cancel thousands of flights and caused hours-long queues at major airports, frustrating…


Turkish Strikes in North Iraq Kill 8 Tourists, Wound Over 20

BAGHDAD—Turkish airstrikes killed eight tourists in northern Iraq and wounded over 20, Iraqi Kurdish officials and the Iraqi army said on Wednesday. At least four missiles struck the resort area of Barakh in the Zakho district in the semi-autonomous Kurdish-run region, district mayor Mushir Mohammed told The Associated Press. All the casualties were Iraqi citizens….


Brussels Airlines to Cancel Around 700 Flights Over Summer Holiday

BRUSSELS—The Belgian subsidiary of Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, is canceling close to 700 flights over the summer holiday period, around 6 percent of those scheduled, to reduce workload and avoid strikes, the airline said on Monday. “We are meeting the demands of the unions today and we hope it can rule out further actions (this summer),”…


Brussels at Near-Standstill as Cost-of-Living March Draws 70,000

BRUSSELS—Around 70,000 Belgian workers marched through Brussels on Monday demanding government action to tackle sharply rising living costs, as one-day strikes at Brussels Airport and on local transport networks nationwide brought public travel to a near-halt. Protesters carried flags and banners reading “More respect, higher wages” and “End excise duty,” while some set off flares….


UK Transport Secretary Accuses Unions of Gunning for Rail Strikes

British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Sunday accused the unions of “gunning” for crippling rail strikes that he said are “completely unnecessary” and self-harming. Union leaders confirmed on Saturday that strikes will be held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday across the rail network and London Underground over pay, jobs, and conditions. The action by tens of thousands…


South Korean Union Truckers Continue Strike, Talks With Government Stall

SEOUL—South Korean truckers were on strike for a sixth day on Sunday after talks with the government failed to make progress over their demands for higher pay, crippling cargo transport at the country’s industrial hubs and major ports. Transport ministry officials met for more than 10 hours with union leaders on Saturday for a third…