German pilots add to Ryanair turbulence, Spanish taxi drivers protest Uber, and more top news

The news professionals in Europe are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments.

Ryanair’s woes continue as German pilots vote to strike. The pilots could walk out with 24 hours’ notice after more than 96% backed the industrial action in a dispute over pay and conditions. The Vereinigung Cockpit union says it has given the airline until August 6 to accept their terms. The move comes after Ryanair was forced to cancel 600 flights last week due to strike action from their Irish pilots and cabin crews in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Spanish taxi drivers are blocking streets with their cars in protest against Uber and Cabify. The drivers have parked across main roads in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Seville after failing to reach a deal with the government. Taxi unions are demanding the government enforce a law that allows just one ride-hailing licence for every 30 taxi licences, saying 130,000 jobs are at risk. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Portugal, Spain and France have signed a deal to build an undersea powerline in the Bay of Biscay. The 370km-long line will link France and Spain, almost doubling their electricity exchange capacity, and will help ease the Iberian peninsula out of energy isolation. The European Commission will finance 30% of the project, contributing €578m — the biggest investment by Europe in an energy project to date. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Tesla is in talks with Germany and the Netherlands to build its first major European factory, reports The Wall Street Journal. The electric vehicle maker has had preliminary discussions with two German states competing to host the Gigafactory, which would build cars and their batteries under one roof. Chief executive Elon Musk last month suggested Germany was “a leading choice”. A green car revolution could boost Europe’s battery market to around €250bn by 2025.  ? Here’s what people are saying.

Workers at the Eiffel Tower in Paris are also preparing to walk off the job. Earlier this month, tower management upped the amount of available pre-purchase tickets to 50%, from 20%. But union officials say they’ve also been reserving specific elevators for each type of ticket holder — a move that has created “monstrous and often lopsided” queues. The tower has been hit by repeated strikes in recent years. In April, security staff protested over the firing of three team members. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day:  Managers of all levels influence employee retention, says Redpoint managing director Tomasz Tunguz. That’s why investing in management is key to good business.

“A great management culture provides a competitive edge when hiring talent.”

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— Capucine Yeomans