The week of 12 to 18 October brings a series of strike actions across Italy. Things get under way with a 24-hour strike affecting rail infrastructure in Sicily, beginning on Monday evening and running through to Tuesday. The middle of the week sees a general strike in Tuscany. Friday, 16 October, is the main strike day: schools, the fire service and the airline EasyJet are all walking out nationwide, with several strikes affecting local public transport.
Monday and Tuesday: rail services in Sicily disrupted
The start of the week brings disruption to rail services in Sicily. From Monday, 12 October, at 21:01 until Tuesday, 13 October, at 21:00, staff at RFI-Direzione Operativa Infrastruttura Territoriale (DOIT) Palermo will strike for 24 hours, as called by OSR UILT-UIL. Train drivers are not involved, but without track control operations, delays and cancellations are likely across the island. Passengers are advised to check the live travel updates from RFI as well as the strike calendar on the Italian Ministry of Transport website before setting off.
Wednesday: general strike in Tuscany
For 14 October, the CGIL has called a regional general strike in Tuscany. It runs from 09:00 to 17:00 and covers both public and private sectors. In rail services , staff at Gruppo FS Italiane and Italo Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori will strike from 09:01 to 17:00. High-speed, long-distance and regional services on all lines running through Tuscany will be affected. Florence's trams (Gest) are excluded, having already held their own strike day on 10 October. Local public transport across the region will see a four-hourstoppage , with timing varying by service.
Friday, 16 October: the main strike day
Friday sees the strike week reach its peak. The trade union Sisa has called a 24-hour nationwide strike in schools. Teaching staff, headteachers and ATA personnel at all school levels, as well as at Italian schools abroad, are affected. Demands include bringing salaries into line with the European average, a permanent employment plan for ATA staff and a revision of pension rules. Depending on the level of participation, lessons at individual schools may be shortened or suspended entirely .
Alongside this, the fire servicewill also strike. Fp CGIL has proclaimed a four-hour work stoppage for the Vigili del Fuoco from 10:00 to 14:00. At EasyJet , cabin crew will walk out for 24 hours, as called by USB Lavoro Privato. Passengers should expect cancellations and rebookings on the airline's Italian routes.
There will also be local transport strikes. In Bergamo, Arriva staff will strike all day, with guaranteed services from 06:00 to 08:30 and from 12:30 to 16:00. In Naples, EAV (Ente Autonomo Volturno) local transport will be affected from 19:30 to 23:30. A strike has also been announced at Minerva Bus in Fiumicino. From 00:00 on Friday, the Comitato autotrasportatori siciliani is calling a lorrystrike lasting until 20 October, directed against high diesel prices ; trailers will not be collected from Sicilian ports.
Further local strikes during the week
A number of smaller work stoppages are also taking place. On Monday, 12 October, bus drivers at Amtab Bari struck from 08:30 to 12:30, as did employees of the telecoms provider WindTre across the country. On Thursday, 15 October, urban public transport in Foggia (Ataf) will be affected all day, with guaranteed services between 05:30 and 08:30 and between 12:30 and 15:30. In Modena and Carpi, the healthcare sector will see a complete shift strike.
Passenger rights: rail and air travel
During a strike in Italy, the statutory guaranteed service windows (fasce di garanzia) apply to local and regional transport: typically 06:00 to 09:00 and 18:00 to 21:00. For long-distance rail services, there is a list of protected trains that must continue to run even during a strike. For EU flights, the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation the entitlements in the event of cancellations and significant delays; the aviation authority ENAC summarises passengers' rights during strike-related cancellations. Information on individual strikes and possible withdrawals is available from the Ministry of Transport and from the Commissione di Garanzia Sciopero.
Looking ahead: general strike on 30 October
October draws to a close with a nationwide protest. The grassroots union Usi Cit has called a general strike for Friday, 30 October. Lasting 24 hours and covering all sectors including education, it explicitly excludes transport. The issues at stake are military spending and war. For holidaymakers in Italy, 30 October therefore presents no critical disruption in the transport sector, though the situation may differ in public administration and in the education sector.
