Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

COVID-19

Spain extends travel ban again on arrivals from UK, Brazil and South Africa until mid-March

The Spanish government on Tuesday announced another travel ban extension for travellers from the UK, Brazil and South Africa until at least March 16, over the new Covid variants in those nations.

Published: 23 February 2021 19:29 CET

Spain extends travel ban again on arrivals from UK, Brazil and South Africa until mid-March

Photo: AFP

Spain's cabinet agreed on Tuesday to extend entry restrictions for travellers from the three nations for another two weeks, Health Minister Carolina Darias told a news conference.

Only legal residents or nationals of Spain and the neighbouring micro-state of Andorra are currently allowed in on flights from these countries.

The restriction on arrivals from Britain was imposed at the end of December while the ban on arrivals from Brazil and South Africa came into effect on February 3rd.

This is the fifth time that Spain has extended its restrictions on arrivals from Britain.

“We’re looking to contain infections associated with the Covid variants as far as possible,” said Spanish government spokesperson María Jesús Montero.

The previous travel ban was scheduled to end on March 2.

Flight and ferry routes from the UK, South Africa and Brazil to Spain are expected to be reduced as a result as only legal residents or nationals of Spain are allowed to board.

Transit passengers will be allowed to continue their journey through Spain as long as their layover is less than 24 hours and they don't leave the airport.

The news also means that UK second home owners who aren't residents and Britons who want to visit Spain cannot do so until further notice.

READ MORE:

REMINDER: What are the travel rules from the UK to Spain?

Is Spain about to be added to the UK's 'red list'?

What parts of Spain are likely to open to tourists first?

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

“The German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn have reached a wage agreement,” GDL said in a statement.

Further details will be announced in a press conference on Tuesday, the union said. A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn also confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

Train drivers have walked out six times since November, causing disruption for huge numbers of passengers.

The strikes have often lasted for several days and have also caused disruption to freight traffic, with the most recent walkout in mid-March.

In late January, rail traffic was paralysed for five days on the national network in one of the longest strikes in Deutsche Bahn’s history.

READ ALSO: Why are German train drivers launching more strike action?

Europe’s largest economy has faced industrial action for months as workers and management across multiple sectors wrestle over terms amid high inflation and weak business activity.

The strikes have exacerbated an already gloomy economic picture, with the German economy shrinking 0.3 percent across the whole of last year.

What we know about the new offer so far

Through the new agreement, there will be optional reduction of a work week to 36 hours at the start of 2027, 35.5 hours from 2028 and then 35 hours from 2029. For the last three stages, employees must notify their employer themselves if they wish to take advantage of the reduction steps.

However, they can also opt to work the same or more hours – up to 40 hours per week are possible in under the new “optional model”.

“One thing is clear: if you work more, you get more money,” said Deutsche Bahn spokesperson Martin Seiler. Accordingly, employees will receive 2.7 percent more pay for each additional or unchanged working hour.

According to Deutsche Bahn, other parts of the agreement included a pay increase of €420 per month in two stages, a tax and duty-free inflation adjustment bonus of €2,850 and a term of 26 months.

Growing pressure

Last year’s walkouts cost Deutsche Bahn some €200 million, according to estimates by the operator, which overall recorded a net loss for 2023 of €2.35 billion.

Germany has historically been among the countries in Europe where workers went on strike the least.

But since the end of 2022, the country has seen growing labour unrest, while real wages have fallen by four percent since the start of the war in Ukraine.

German airline Lufthansa is also locked in wage disputes with ground staff and cabin crew.

Several strikes have severely disrupted the group’s business in recent weeks and will weigh on first-quarter results, according to the group’s management.

Airport security staff have also staged several walkouts since January.

Some politicians have called for Germany to put in place rules to restrict critical infrastructure like rail transport from industrial action.

But Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected the calls, arguing that “the right to strike is written in the constitution… and that is a democratic right for which unions and workers have fought”.

The strikes have piled growing pressure on the coalition government between Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and the pro-business FDP, which has scored dismally in recent opinion polls.

The far-right AfD has been enjoying a boost in popularity amid the unrest with elections in three key former East German states due to take place later this year.

Url copied to clipboard!