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STRIKES

How daily life in Italy has been hit by Friday’s general strike

Workers across Italy walked out on Friday, March 8th with nationwide protests affecting the normal operation of transport, healthcare and school services.

Published: 7 March 2024 10:53 CET
Updated: 8 March 2024 09:57 CET
How daily life in Italy has been hit by Friday's general strike
Tourists leave Venice's Santa Lucia train station in May 2019. Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

Transport, healthcare and school services in Italy all faced disruption on Friday as workers around the country took part in a 24-hour general strike to demand greater national efforts in relation to “women’s rights, gender equality and equal pay”.

Travel overview 

Based on the latest reports, Friday’s strike shouldn’t be as disruptive for commuters as originally expected. 

Earlier this week, Italy’s Strike Commission blocked multiple nationwide demonstrations after reportedly “spotting several irregularities” in the application of national strike laws, especially “in relation to the passenger transport sector”. 

This means that, while some transport services are expected to be subject to significant delays and/or cancellations, travel to, from or across the country won’t come to a screeching halt.

Further, under Italian strike laws, transport operators are required to guarantee a minimum number of services (servizi essenziali) during protests, with the exact time and frequency of these services varying by city and operator.

Trains

National rail operator Trenitalia said in a statement that their services “may experience cancellations or changes” from midnight to 9pm, though the walkout may also “result in service variations both before its start and after its end”. 

They also said that a number of minimum services will be guaranteed to operate from 6am to 9am and from 6pm to 9pm. A full list of guaranteed Trenitalia services on Friday is available here.

Rome Termini station

A passenger pictured at Rome’s Termini station during a nationwide transport strike. Photo by VINCENZO PINTO / AFP

Trenord, which operates a number of regional trains in the Lombardy region, including connections to and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport, has said that “regional, suburban, long-distance and airport services may experience changes and/or cancellations”.

Like Trenitalia, Trenord will operate a number of minimum services from 6am to 9am and from 6pm to 9pm. Further details on these can be found here.

READ ALSO: Key dates: How Italy will be hit by transport strikes in March

Services from private long-distance operator Italo shouldn’t be affected by the walkout according to the latest reports. 

Passengers planning to travel by train on Friday are advised to check the status of the scheduled services via the operator’s website or app before setting off.

Public transport

Public transport services (metro lines, buses, trams, etc.) around the country may be subject to delays or cancellations on Friday, though the level of disruption will largely vary from region to region, or even from city to city.

Milan’s main public transport operator ATM has said that their services will not be affected by the protest. 

Public transport services run by Rome’s Atac should also operate as normal, according to the latest reports. 

Tram and bus services in Naples may be delayed or cancelled, though a number of as-yet-unspecified services will be guaranteed to operate from 5.30am to 8.30am and from 5pm to 8pm.

Public transport in the Tuscany region, including in the Florence metropolitan area, will operate as normal.

Passengers planning to use public transport on Friday are advised to check the status of their service via the operator’s website or app before setting off.

Flights

Air travel will not be affected by the strike. Ground airport services (check-ins, security checks, baggage handling) are also expected to go ahead as normal.

Healthcare

Scheduled doctor’s appointments, diagnostic tests and non-emergency services at hospitals around the country may be subject to changes on Friday as workers in both private and public healthcare institutions plan to take part in the national protest.

Seriate hospital

People are pictured outside of Seriate’s Bolognini hospital, Lombardy, in March 2021. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

Emergency services and urgent treatment will not be affected by the walkout.

Schools

Normal teaching hours and lessons at public or private kindergartens, schools and universities around the country may be subject to changes on Friday. 

Canteen services, after-school activities and school buses may also be affected by the protest, though the level of disruption will vary by institute.

Fire department

Members of Italy’s fire brigades will strike from 8am to 2pm, but emergency services will not be affected by the protest.

Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.

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STRIKES

How is Italy’s public transport affected by strikes on Monday?

Passengers in cities around Italy faced potential cancellations or delays on Monday, May 6th, as a nationwide strike hit local public transport services.

Published: 6 May 2024 10:19 CEST
How is Italy's public transport affected by strikes on Monday?

A strike was set to cause travel disruption in cities across Italy on Monday, as staff of local public transport operators across the country announced a 24-hour walkout.

The USB workers union in a statement said it was protesting job precarity and overlong shifts and calling for higher wages and better contracts. Unions CUB Trasporti, SGB, Cobas Lavoro Privato, Adl Cobas and Al-Cobas have also joined the strike.

The walkout was planned to take place in different windows in cities around the country. Here’s what to expect:

Rome

Rome’s public transport operator ATAC announced that services will only be guaranteed from the start of service until 8.29am and from 5pm until 8pm. Metro, bus and tram services were all set to be affected.

READ ALSO: The transport strikes that will hit travel in Italy in May 2024

On the night of May 6th to May 7th, night buses (those with ‘n’ before the number) are guaranteed, but daytime lines that have trips scheduled beyond midnight are not.

Milan

Staff of Milan’s public transport company ATM planned to strike from 8.45am to 3pm and after 6pm.

The strike was expected to affect services on the Como-Brunate funicular from 8.30am to 4.30pm and after 7.30pm.

Florence

In Florence and throughout the entire region of Tuscany, passengers using Autolinee Toscane’s public transport services faced disruption from 8.15am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm until end of service.

Rome, empty bus station

A deserted bus station during a national transport strike in Rome. Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP

Naples

Naples transport provider ANM announced that staff intend to strike from 3am on May 6th to 3am on May 7th.

Tram, bus and trolley services have been guaranteed from 5.30am until 8.30am and 5pm until 8pm; passengers should expect disruption any time outside these windows.

The last guaranteed departure on the funicular is at 9.20am and service should resume between 5pm and 7.50pm.

On Metro Line 1, the last guaranteed service from Piscinola was scheduled for 9.12am and from Garibaldi at 9.07am. Guaranteed afternoon slots are 5pm until 7.33pm from Piscinola and 5.40pm until 7.28pm from Garibaldi.

Venice

Venice’s public transport operators ACM/ACTV said the strike could affect water-based and surface line services; the provider has updated its website with a list of all the services guaranteed to go ahead on May 6th.

Bologna and Ferrara

Staff of Emilia Romagna’s public transport operator Tper were set to strike from 8.30am to 4.30pm and 7.30pm to end of service.

Services on Marconi Express monorail connecting Bologna’s Guglielmo Marconi Airport with the city’s central rail station face disruption throughout the day.

Genoa

Genoa’s public transport provider reports that staff were expected to strike for the 24 hours outside the guaranteed slots of 6am to 9am and 5.30pm to 8.30pm.

Other regions and cities

USB listed on its website (in Italian) the times that the strike was expected to affect transport services in other towns and regions across the country, including Turin, Bolzano, Trento, Trieste, Marche, Umbria, Campania, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily.

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