The trade union USI-CIT has called a nationwide general strike for Friday, 30 October, the second of the month. According to the strike calendar, all public and private sectors are affected, including schools, universities, healthcare, public administration and retail. The transport sector is exempt from the action: air travel, rail services, local public transport and maritime services will not be part of the strike, following an order from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT). USI-CIT cites, according to Nostrofiglio, the protest against the level of Italian defence spending as the background to the action.
Transport exempted by ministerial order
Following a series of transport strikes in October, from Trenitalia to Milan's ATM transport network, the ministry has excluded the transport sector from the general strike on 30 October. Airlines, long-distance trains, regional trains, and metro, bus and ferry services will therefore run as normal. According to Missionline, this position is expected to remain stable until the strike begins; travellers are nevertheless advised to check the official information provided by their respective operators on the day of the strike. October has already seen, according to Finanza.com, twelve transport strikes;30 October would have been the thirteenth.
Lead-up on 29 October: Trenitalia strike in Emilia-Romagna
Regional protests are also taking place the day before. On 29 October, according to Missionline, staff from Trenitalia Customer Operations in the Emilia-Romagna region will strike for 24 hours. The locations involved are Bologna,Reggio Emilia Storica, the Mediopadana high-speed station and Rimini. The strike has been called by the unions FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL, UILT-UIL and ORSA Ferrovie. The strike notice makes no mention of disruption to regular train services; travellers in the region are advised to take note of the guaranteed service times on regional routes, which apply on weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 and between 18:00 and 21:00. For long-distance trains, Trenitalia and Italo also publish lists of guaranteed services on strike days.
Schools, administration and healthcare on strike
Outside the transport sector, Finanza.com expects the greatest disruption in public administration, healthcare and retail. Schools and universities are, according to Nostrofiglio, particularly affected; USI-CIT is specifically calling for defence spending to be reduced and the funds freed up redirected into education, healthcare and social services. Individual institutions will inform staff and the public about levels of participation via their notice boards and websites. Within the healthcare sector, statutory minimum services remain in place regardless; emergency departments and life-critical treatments will continue to operate.
October wave of strikes: the second general strike of the month
30 October marks the second national strike of this scale in the month, following the general strike on 2 October. The October wave comprises, in addition to the two general strikes, according to Finanza.com, twelve further transport actions, as well as a lorry blockade in southern Italy during the fuel crisis over high diesel prices. The underlying causes of the pressure to protest are, according to Finanza, unresolved issues surrounding real wages, hospital funding and energy prices, compounded by the expiry of the diesel price brake on 5 October. In September, the rail strike of the September wave had already caused nationwide disruption; October, with its two national mobilisations, represents an extensive wave of protest.
