Italy’s largest trade union calls general strike over budget.
A national general strike scheduled on Friday 12 December by Italy’s largest trade union, CGIL, is set to disrupt the country’s rail network for 21 hours.
The strike, in protest over the government’s 2026 budget bill, comes two weeks after another general strike was organised in Italy for the same reason by other trade unions.
The 21-hour strike is set to affect train services from just after midnight on Thursday 11 December until 21.00 on Friday 12 December, according to the transport ministry website.
Cancellations and delays are expected for both long-distance Frecce and Intercity trains and regional trains.
Trenitalia reminds passengers that a minimum number of essential services are guaranteed during strikes on weekdays, from 06.00 to 09.00 and from 18.00 to 21.00, with more details available on its website.
Private rail provider Italo has published a list of guaranteed services on Friday, as has Trenord which operates rail services in the northern Lombardia region around Milan.
The strike is set to affect local public transport in cities around Italy, with timetables varying from city to city.
Rome’s main public transport provider ATAC will not be adhering to the strike however buses operated in the city by Cotral could be affected from 08.30 to 17.00 and from 20.00 until end of service.
Friday’s strike will not affect air travel.
Reasons for strike
In a statement, CGIL issued a long list of reasons for the strike, including demands for the renewal of all national labour contracts; greater investments in healthcare, education, local authorities, long-term care, and housing rights; and measures to tackle job insecurity and workplace safety.
CGIL general secretary Maurizio Landini slammed the budget as “unfair and mistaken”, saying that the “fundamental emergency right now is wages: we need to increase wages, and this budget doesn’t do that.”
After the strike was announced last month, both prime minister Giorgia Meloni and deputy premier Matteo Salvini mocked Landini for organising a strike on a Friday, hinting that it was an excuse for a long weekend.
Landini responded by saying that the two political leaders “don’t know what they’re talking about” and that they “should be respectful” towards workers.
“Because when someone goes on strike, they’re giving up their salary; it’s not free”, Landini said, reminding Meloni and Salvini that their salaries are funded by the taxes paid by workers.
We update our news of public transport strikes in Italy regularly. For official information see the transport ministry website. Photo credit: Only Fabrizio / Shutterstock.com.
