transport
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in transport and distribution around the world.
Ireland: Aer Lingus to be hit by rolling strikes
Airline Aer Lingus faces chaos next Tuesday and Friday as ground staff embark on a series of disruptive work stoppages at all three of the country’s main airports.
The Irish Examiner reported that union SIPTU's 1,800 ground staff will be carrying out four-hour rolling stoppages in Cork, Dublin and Shannon on the two days. Last night, the severity of the action looked likely to intensify as company sources said the airline would suspend workers who took part.
France: transport strikes to continue
The strike action that has paralysed France's public transport system since Tuesday is set to continue for at least another day.
The TGV ran 90 out of 700 trains. The other national service, Corail, ran only 12 trains out of a normal service of 300. With the local TER services few trains ran, although a scab service of 2000 buses was in operation. Transport authorities are promising to improve the situation tomorrow, claiming one in three TER services will run, 50 Corail and 150 TGVs.
France: Transport and energy strikes begin
Workers fighting to defend their pension rights have launched a second strike.
This time the strike is reconductible, meaning that although it is not an unlimited strike it is renewable on a daily basis. The strike warning given by the unions was for a strike beginning from 8pm on Tuesday.
Germany: rail workers resume strike action
Workers are launching a three-day strike for better wages and conditions and against the proposed privatisation of Deutsche Bahn, the German railway company.
The 34000 striking workers belong to the GDL union and have refused the 4.5% pay offer already accepted by the two larger rail unions. They have further rejected a seperate offer of a one-off €2000 payment with a 10% rise, a condition of that offer is a two-hour increase in the working week.
Thailand: Rail strikes against privatisation
Following a wildcat strike which shut down the state rail network on October 31, the rail union is threatening further action if privatisation continues.
The Bangkok Post reported that the State Railways of Thailand (SRT) labour union will resume striking against the Surayud government next month if the authorities fail to meet its demands involving the controversial leases of SRT property to the private sector and revision of SRT privatisation schemes.
Liverpool airport workers vote for strike
Liverpool John Lennon Airport workers have voted overwhelmingly to strike after refusing a pay offer.
If they go ahead with the walk-out it will shut down the airport. More than 80% of staff, including firefighters, engineers, airside safety and air traffic control staff, have backed a ballot calling for industrial action.
Iran sentences labour leader to five years imprisonment
Mansoor Osanloo, leader of the Tehran bus drivers union, who has been imprisoned for months after being kidnapped on the street by police has just been sentenced by Iran's judiciary.
An Iranian court has sentenced a dissident labor leader to five years in jail, a judiciary official was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
Mansoor Osanloo, who runs a union grouping bus drivers, was detained in July for "distributing statements against the system". Western rights groups say Iran has launched a crackdown on dissenting voices, although Tehran denies this.
Air France cabin crew strike over conditions
Air France are trying to restore services after a five day strike by cabin crew.
The strike was called by cabin crew over pay and conditions. Workers feel aggrieved that they were asked to give more when Air France was losing money and are now excluded from any benefits now Air France is profitable again.
France: Strikers paralyse Paris region
Transport workers brought most of Paris and the Ile de France region to a halt today, they were joined at demonstrations by other workers and strikers.
The one-day strike was originally called by the main rail unions in protest at the end of 'special regimes' for pensions.
Poland: Bus drivers win strike
Bus drivers in Kielce have won their strike against privatisation.
After 17 days the bus drivers in the South Polish city of Kielce have surprisingly won their strike. The sale of the communal bus company MPK planned by the city’s mayor is stopped and MPK is given to the workers instead. The strike had been preceded by months of confrontation.
