It promises to be a ‘black’ Friday for those who travel by bus, tram and metro due to the 24-hour national strike called by the unions, complete with a demonstration in Rome in front of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. Instead, traffic on the railway network should be regulated, with Trenitalia, Italo and Trenord employees not joining the protest scheduled for 8 November.
WHY WORKERS STRIKE – Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Faisa Cisal and Ugl Fna jointly proclaim the protest «for the renewal of the national contract (expired on 31 December 2023), for the lack of resources, for the lack of programming policies, for the reform of the sector and for health and safety at work”.
«NO GUARANTEE BAND» – The traditional guarantee slots are also at risk: for the first time after almost 20 years the agitation may in fact not have safe time slots for travellers. «On Friday 8 November, unlike previous strikes – explain the trade union organizations -, in compliance with law 146 which regulates the right to strike and only once in the context of the dispute for the renewal of a national contract, a total guarantee of the service in the time slots that protect the mobility of travelers but the use of 30% of the traveling staff will be guaranteed, during the time slots foreseen at a local level, and also the services that are absolutely indispensable for the generality of users such as connections with ports and airports as well as specialized ones of particular social importance such as transport for disabled people and school buses for nursery and primary schools”. The unions have accepted the indications of the Guarantee Commission on strikes, which has recalled in recent days that, even in the absence of guaranteed bands, “minimum services must be guaranteed to users on the basis of the legislation in force”. And he invited the category acronyms to “respect the rules”.
THE PRESIDIUM IN ROME – The methods of protest differ from city to city, as reported on the official MIT website. The greatest disruptions are expected in Milan, Naples and Rome. In particular, in the capital there is a demonstration in front of the MIT, in Porta Pia, from 10.30 to 1.30. «Tomorrow’s strike – underline the CGIL and Filt CGIL of Rome and Lazio – is a united strike, proclaimed some time ago, against the inertia of employers’ associations and governments due to the conditions faced by local public transport. While there is no desire to give workers a salary that can compensate for the loss of purchasing power caused by inflation, the Government has not received a response regarding the national TPL fund which has been reduced for 15 years through direct cuts and lack of adjustments to the inflation, with all the negative repercussions that workers and commuters face every day: staff shortages, exhausted cars and obsolete infrastructure. Conditions that fuel user exasperation. The ones who pay the consequences, with increasing frequency, are the staff who find themselves victims of verbal and physical aggression.” Under accusation, then, the cuts in the maneuver «to the financing for the completion of metro C» and, they further observe, «the national TPL fund continues to not recognize adequate resources for the real needs of Rome, which receives only 80 euros per capita compared to to 200 euros per capita in the city of Milan. In all of this, the additional resources for the Jubilee allocated to the public transport service remain negligible”.
DIFFERENT MODES FROM CITY TO CITY – In Rome the A and B metro lines will be guaranteed (the B1 and C metro lines could remain directly closed), as well as some surface lines from the start of service until 8.30am and from 5pm to 8pm, and will also participate in similar ways the public transport companies of the main cities, including Naples, Palermo and Venice. In Milan the ATM has announced that the metro and some surface lines will be guaranteed, but only from the start of service at 8.45am and from 3pm to 6pm, while the M4 service between the San Babila stop and the Linate will be guaranteed for the whole day. In Turin the strike will have repercussions on all metro, bus and tram lines managed by the GTT and only some journeys will be guaranteed from 6am to 9am and from 12pm to 3pm. In Genoa AMT staff are expected to abstain from work for the entire shift, with approximately 30% of the urban transport service always guaranteed from 6am to 9am and from 5.30pm to 8.30pm, and extra-urban transport from 6am to 9am and from 5pm to 8pm.
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**Interview with Maria Rossi, Union Representative for Public Transportation Workers**
**Editor:** Welcome, Maria. Thank you for joining us today to discuss the upcoming national strike in Italy’s public transport sector on November 8. Can you start by explaining the main reasons behind this strike?
**Maria Rossi:** Thank you for having me. The upcoming strike is a collective action by several unions—Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Faisa Cisal, and Ugl Fna. The key issues driving this protest include the urgent need for a new national contract, which has been expired since December 31, 2023. We are also advocating for increased funding and resources for public transport, better planning policies, and necessary reforms that address health and safety concerns in our sector.
**Editor:** What can travelers expect in terms of disruptions, considering it’s a 24-hour strike?
**Maria Rossi:** Travelers should brace for significant disruption, especially in bus, tram, and metro services. Unlike previous strikes, we currently cannot guarantee specific slots for travelers, which means that some may experience total service cancellations. However, essential services, especially connections to ports, airports, and those for vulnerable populations, will still operate to some extent, as we are committed to ensuring minimum services in compliance with existing laws.
**Editor:** This strike seems to follow a history of dissatisfaction among transport workers. Can you elaborate on the conditions your members are facing?
**Maria Rossi:** Absolutely. Our workers are experiencing increasingly difficult conditions due to chronic staff shortages, outdated vehicles, and insufficient infrastructure. These problems have been compounded by years of cuts to funding—essentially, the national TPL fund has not been adjusted to keep pace with inflation over the last 15 years. This leads to burnout among workers and rising incidents of aggression against staff as they struggle to manage overburdened systems.
**Editor:** You mentioned a demonstration taking place in Rome. Can you tell us more about this event?
**Maria Rossi:** Yes! We will hold a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure in Porta Pia from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. This will be a unified demonstration to voice our frustration and demand action from the government and employers. We want our concerns to be heard and to demand that they address the challenges that public transport workers and commuters face daily.
**Editor:** As a union representative, what message would you like to convey to commuters who might be affected by this strike?
**Maria Rossi:** We understand that strikes are inconvenient. However, they are a necessary means for us to advocate for better working conditions and adequate transport services for the public. Our fight is not just for worker rights but ultimately for a public transport system that serves everyone effectively. We urge commuters to join us in pushing for these changes—your support is vital in compelling the government to take action.
**Editor:** Thank you, Maria, for sharing those insights. We wish you and your team the best in your efforts.
**Maria Rossi:** Thank you for the opportunity to discuss these important issues.
