Interpreters at the European Parliament in Strasbourg are staging the first of a series of strikes, to protest against a decision to change their working hours.
The interpreters, who give live translations of parliamentary proceedings in the 24 official languages of the EU, are stopping work for up to two hours a day.
The Union of International and European Civil Servants says interpreters have "risen to the challenge" of the number of official European Languages doubling.
However, it says their numbers have reduced by a quarter.
SFIE (Syndicat des Fonctionnaires Internationaux et Européens) also claims that Secretary General Klaus Welle has refused dialogue.
European Parliament President Antonio Tajani was due to meet interpreters today to discuss their concerns.
