The UK Foreign Office has issued an urgent travel warning for British tourists in France as nationwide strikes are set to disrupt transport and services on Thursday, October 2. French unions called the action to pressure new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu over his predecessor's austerity fiscal programme.
The warning, issued on September 30, advises travellers to monitor local news and check with travel providers for potential delays. Travel, education and health sectors are all expected to face significant disruption across the country.
Escalating union pressure
Sophie Binet of the CGT union said: "There was a big turnout on September 18, and we need to step it up again on October 2." The previous protests demonstrated strong support for union demands against government austerity measures.
According to the Express, union leaders were "not satisfied" with PM Lecornu's response and noted the absence of any "clear commitment" to address their concerns. Lecornu was appointed just over two weeks ago and has yet to organise a government or draft a budget.
Wider European disruption
Liverpool Echo reports that coordinated strikes are planned across Greece, France, Italy and the Netherlands in the first 10 days of October. Despite the broader European action, Jet2 is planning to operate all flights as scheduled during the Greek strikes.
British travellers face additional disruption from October 7 to 10 when French air traffic controllers plan to walk out. This action will affect not only flights to and from France but any passengers travelling through French airspace to destinations across Europe.
Travel advice
The Foreign Office warns that frequent industrial action across France can lead to disruption and delays on roads and public transport. Travellers should check operator advice before travelling, particularly for connecting flights.
The air traffic controller strike was originally planned for September but was postponed when the French government collapsed. The rescheduled action threatens to compound travel chaos for British tourists during the busy autumn travel period.
Sources used: "Manchester Evening News", "Express", "Liverpool Echo", "France 24" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
