The Italian trade union CGIL has called a 24-hour national general strike for Friday, 20 November 2026. According to Tecnica della Scuola , CGIL General Secretary Maurizio Landini announced the strike on 17 October 2026 in Rome at the "La Via maestra" rally on the Piazza del Popolo. Following the general strike of 30 October, this marks the second national walkout within just a few weeks. The CGIL education union FLC CGIL is participating on behalf of schools, universities, research institutions and AFAM, while the independent USB Pubblico Impiego is striking in parallel across schools and the public sector. In addition, the grassroots unions Sgb and Cub Trasporti have called a separate 24-hour transport strike. The action coincides with a Europe-wide student strike on the same day.
What CGIL is demanding
According to Soldionline , the mobilisation is directed against the 2027 budget law, Italy's Legge di Bilancio under the Meloni government, which is currently being debated in parliament. Landini has criticised the erosion of workers' rights, precarious employment and low wages. CGIL is demanding answers to the social question and describes the strike as a constitutionally guaranteed right. According to Tecnica della Scuola, specific criticism is directed at the electoral law and the Autonomia differenziata, the planned regional autonomy reform, which Landini characterises as an attack on the constitution. CGIL expects more than 100,000 participants at the accompanying demonstrations in Rome, according to Landini. USB Pubblico Impiego justifies its own strike day with demands for higher salaries in the public sector and better working conditions in schools and public administration.
Who is striking and when
The strike schedule is spread across two days. CGIL, FLC CGIL and USB are striking on Friday, 20 November for 24 hours across all public and private sectors, including contractors and outsourced services, as noted by quifinanza in its overview of 3 November 2026. The parallel transport strike by the grassroots unions Sgb and Cub Trasporti begins on 20 November at 21:00 and runs until 21 November at 20:00. Rail operators are therefore also affected overnight, including freight rail and local public transport. On the following day, Saturday 21 November, air traffic control provider Enav will additionally strike from 13:00 to 17:00, called by Filt Cgil and Ugl Ta.
Affected means of transport
The wave of strikes is hitting the transport sector particularly hard. Those affected include Trenitalia, Italo, Trenord and all other rail operators on the national and regional network, together with the entire freight rail network and urban public transport systems, including buses, the metro and trams, as studentville reports. Particular disruption is expected in Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin and Bologna, where commuters and students are heavily reliant on public transport. Airports are directly affected by the Enav strike on 21 November; for travellers, flight times may shift or flights may be cancelled. Airlines are subject to information obligations under EU Regulation 261/2004, and in the event of cancellations, passengers are entitled to compensation or reimbursement. For rail travel in Italy , quifinanza specifically confirms guaranteed regional train services during peak commuting windows of 06:00 to 09:00 and 18:00 to 21:00.
Further strikes in November
The month of November is heavily marked by industrial action. During the current week of 6 to 14 November, an entire series of strikes is already under way, with Italo on 11 November, telecommunications on the same day and ATM Milano on 13 November. On 16 November, ANM Napoli will strike from 11:00 to 15:00, in parallel with a national strike by healthcare cooperatives. On 22 November, a further Enav strike follows at Milan Malpensa Airport for the entire day, with guaranteed departures between 07:00 and 10:00 and between 18:00 and 21:00. Additional strikes at urban transport operators in Palermo, Genoa, Cosenza, Bari, Monza and Venice round out the picture. On 4 December, the next national strike by the Cub confederation is already scheduled, with demands for wage increases of at least 20 per cent and a minimum wage of 12 euros per hour.
What travellers and commuters should do now
For travellers , it is advisable to check travel plans carefully for 20 and 21 November. Trenitalia and Italo regularly publish the specific strike timetables and guaranteed connections on their websites 24 to 48 hours before the strike begins. The Bollettino of the Commissione di Garanzia lists all lawfully declared strikes together with their fasce di garanzia times. For air travel, quifinanza confirms guaranteed departures between 07:00 and 10:00 and between 18:00 and 21:00, in addition to connections to the islands and flights for state, humanitarian and medical purposes. In schools, examinations and grading meetings are guaranteed; in healthcare, emergency services remain operational. Commuters can obtain information from the regional transport authorities in their city, where the precise time windows are set locally in accordance with Legge 146/90. Those reliant on public transport are advised to switch to bike-sharing, e-scooters or taxis. If in doubt, a look at the live strike situation in the monthly overview, which is continuously updated with current data, is recommended.
