SHARE
COPY LINK

TRAVEL NEWS

What to expect from Friday’s strikes in Italy

Travellers have been warned to expect more disruption from strikes on Friday, November 11th. From trains to planes and local public transport, here's how services will be affected.

What to expect from Friday’s strikes in Italy
Friday is a strike day in Italy. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Travellers are once again expected to face strike disruption affecting travel to, from and across Italy on Friday, November 11th.

The new round of demonstrations, which threaten to replicate last month’s ‘venerdì nero’ (black Friday), include a 24-hour strike from Vueling staff.

READ ALSO: The strikes set to cause travel disruption in Italy in November

Public tranport strikes will also affect commuters in several Italian cities, though the hours and services affected will vary across the country.

Here’s the latest info on how the planned strikes will impact travel.

Flights

As previously reported by The Local, ground and cabin staff from Spanish airline company Vueling will take part in a 24-hour strike.

At the time of writing, no other carriers appear to be involved in the strike.

Vueling hasn’t confirmed how flights will be affected, but delays or cancellations can’t be ruled out.

Vueling plane

Staff from Spanish airline Vueling will take part in a 24-hour strike over job security and holiday pay agreements. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

According to the latest media reports, the Spanish carrier will guarantee a number of “minimum services” throughout the day but neither Vueling nor ENAC, Italy’s air traffic authority, have provided further details.

That said, in the event of strikes, flights from 7am to 10am and from 6pm to 9pm are usually guaranteed to operate in Italy.

Friday’s strike will be the third demonstration in little over a month for Italy-based Vueling personnel, after the two previous strikes on October 1st and October 21st.

Italian unions representing Vueling staff have said that strike actions will continue until their demands – over greater job security and new agreements over holiday pay – are met.

READ ALSO: What are your rights if flights are delayed or cancelled?

As in previous strikes, those meant to be travelling with Vueling on Friday are advised to check their flight status with the carrier before setting off.

In the event of severe delays or cancellations you might be entitled to compensation. See our guide for further details.

Trains

Local operators in several Italian regions will strike at varying times on Friday.

Train services run by Trenord around Milan, Brescia, Como and surrounding areas will be affected on Friday morning from 9.01am until 1pm, including Milan airport links. See full details here.

In Piedmont Ferrovienord services will be interrupted between 9am and 1pm.

In the southern region of Puglia, Ferrovie Sud Est will join the strike from 5pm-9pm.

Public transport

Aside from the Vueling staff strike, local public transport staff from all over the country are expected to take part in a four-hour national strike called by Italian union USB (Unione Sindacale di Base) earlier this week. 

The strike’s start and end times will vary from region to region or, in some cases, from city to city. 

In Milan, staff from public transport operator ATM will strike from 8.45am to 12.45pm, with significant disruption expected for both underground (metro lines) and overground (buses and trams) services.

Bus station in Rome

Public transport staff from all over the country will take part in a four-hour national strike, with the start and end time varying according to the location. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Outside of these hours, services will run regularly, ATM said in a statement.

In Rome, staff from ATAC, the main public transport provider in the capital, will strike from 8.30am to 12.30pm. Further info about the strike can be found here.

In other cities, local public transport staff will strike at the following times, according to Italian media reports on Thursday:

Trieste –  6.30pm to 10.30pm

Bologna and Ferra –  11.30am to 3.30pm

Naples – 9am to 1pm

Bari and Brindisi – 8:30am to 12:30pm

Lecce – 3pm to 7pm

Trento – 11:00 to 15:00

Bolzano – 3pm to 7pm (buses only)

Varese – 3:30 to 7:30pm (Varesine buses)

Pavia – 24 hours

Livorno – 5.30pm to 9.30pm

La Spezia – 11am to 3pm

Rimini, Cesena and Forlì –5.30pm to 9pm.

Strike action in other Italian cities had not been confirmed at the time of writing.

Anyone planning to travel on public transport on Friday is advised to check the status of services in their city before setting off.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

STRIKES

What to expect from Italy’s nationwide rail strike on Sunday

Train passengers in Italy may face disruption on Sunday, June 16th, as staff at railway operators including Trenitalia and Trenord plan a 23-hour strike.

What to expect from Italy’s nationwide rail strike on Sunday

Anyone planning to travel by train this weekend could face delays or cancellations as staff at state-owned railway operators Trenitalia, Trenord and Trenitalia Tper plan to strike from 3am on Sunday, June 16th to 2am on Monday, June 17th, for a total of 23 hours.

The walkout was called by the PdM/PdB transport union in early May to demand the renewal of collective labour agreements in the rail transport sector.

Originally scheduled for Sunday, May 19th, the protest was later postponed to June 16th following a government injunction citing public safety concerns due to an overlap with the Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix.

While rail companies are legally required to guarantee the operation of a number of minimum services (servizi minimi) during strikes taking place on weekdays, there’s no such requirement for weekend walkouts.

This means that operators are free to decide whether or not to guarantee minimum services for passengers.

Trenitalia 

National rail operator Trenitalia said in a statement that their services “may experience cancellations or changes” for the entire length of the strike, though the protest may also “result in service variations both before its start and after its end”. 

Trenitalia said it will operate a number of minimum services during the walkout. These are available here.

READ ALSO: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2024

The operator advised passengers planning to travel on Sunday to check the status of their journey via the Infomobilità section of their website, their mobile app, or by calling toll-free number 800 89 20 21.

Passengers who have booked Intercity or Frecce journeys for Sunday and wish to cancel their trips will have until the scheduled departure time to request a refund. 

Passengers who have purchased regional train tickets will have to submit their refund requests by midnight on Saturday.

Trenord

Trenord, which operates a number of regional trains in the Lombardy region, including links to and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport, said that the walkout “may have repercussions” on all of their scheduled services.

People board a regional train at Milan's Stazione Centrale

People board a regional train at Milan’s Stazione Centrale. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Trenord will not operate minimum services during the strike. However, should airport link services be cancelled, replacement buses will run the same routes. 

See Trenord’s website or mobile app for the latest updates.

Trenitalia Tper

Trenitalia Tper, which operates a number of trains in the Emilia-Romagna region, said that their services “may experience cancellations or changes” due to the walkout. 

Passengers travelling before the start or after the end of the protest may also face disruption, the statement said.

Trenitalia Tper will guarantee the operation of a number of minimum services (servizi minimi) during the day. These can be consulted here.

See their website for the latest updates.

Italo

A statement from Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, which owns and manages all of Italy’s railway network, said the walkout will only involve staff at state-owned operators Trenitalia, Trenitalia Tper and Trenord, meaning that scheduled services from private long-distance operator Italo will go ahead as normal on Sunday. 

What to do if your train is cancelled

If a pre-booked rail service is cancelled due to strike action in Italy, passengers are normally allowed to travel on other equivalent services or are entitled to a refund.

Passengers travelling with Trenitalia can request a refund either at the station or by completing this web form, whereas Italo generally issues refunds automatically.

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

SHOW COMMENTS