How will strikes affect travel in Italy this week?
A series of strikes against the new government's proposed budget will affect travel in areas across Italy this week. Here's what to look out for.
Workers in Italy will be staging a series of staggered strikes this week in protest against the Meloni government's draft budget, the final version of which is due to be approved by the end of the month.
The strikes are due to take place in regions across Italy from Monday, December 12th to Friday 16th, with workers in most parts of the country participating for just one of the five strike days.
The Cgil and Uil unions have said the draft budget is anti-worker, and that they want something "fairer for the people and more useful for the country."
Demands include increased wages in line with inflation, an end to precarious work contracts, and the abolition of the 2011 Fornero Law, which increased the retirement age and changed how pensions are calculated.
In addition to transport services, schools, universities and research and training institutes will be affected, as well as the health sector.
Strikes in different areas will be of varying duration, with workers in some regions demonstrating for four hours, others for eight hours, and others for 24 hours, according to news site Canale Dieci.
It's currently unclear whether transport services will be affected in every region, but people intending to travel on strike days should factor it into their plans.
Here's where and when the strikes are taking place this week.
Monday
The strikes are due to kick off in the southern region of Calabria, according to the news outlet Virgilio.
A demonstration is scheduled to take place outside the prefecture in the regional capital of Catanzaro from 11am, with the Cgil and Uil Calabria general secretaries due to attend.
Tuesday
On Tuesday it will be Sicily and Umbria's turn to strike. Cgil general secretary Maurizio Landini is reportdly scheduled to speak in Piazza Italia in Perugia, Umbria's regional capital, at 11am.
Staff of the low-cost airline Easyjet are also reportedly planning a 24-hour strike on this day, as are Italian air traffic control workers.
Staff of the low-cost carrier Easyjet are due to strike for 24 hours on Tuesday. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP.
Wednesday
On Wednesday workers in Puglia, Trentino, Valle d'Aosta and Veneto are set to protest.
An event is due to be held in Bari's Piazza Federico II at 11.30 am.
Thursday
Workers in Abruzzo, Marche and Piedmont are due to strike on Thursday.
Friday
The final day of the strike is set to be the biggest, with workers in the remaining regions of Alto Adige, Basilicata, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Lombardy, Molise, Sardinia, Tuscany and Lazio joining the action.
In particular, a rail strike has been called by the Fgil union for regional (not long-distance) train services in Campania between 9am and 5pm on Friday, according to Virgilio.
Meanwhile a 24-hour strike has reportedly been called in Lazio, with a large demonstration planned in Rome's Piazza Santi Apostoli.
And in Liguria local transport services, as well as the ports and the logistics sector, will be subject to strike action for 24 hours, according to Canale Dieci.
Local public transport in Rome is set to be shut down from 8pm to midnight, while in Milan transport will likely be affected from 6pm to 10pm, according to media reports.
Motorway service station strike
Motorway service stations in Italy will also engage in a 72-hour nationwide strike from 10pm on Tuesday, December 13th to 10pm on Friday December 16th, according to the trade publication Trasporti Italia.
The trade organisations of the service and station federations Faib, Fegica and Anisa are reportedly protesting against a system which delivers generous profits to concessionaires with little quality or price control.
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Workers in Italy will be staging a series of staggered strikes this week in protest against the Meloni government's draft budget, the final version of which is due to be approved by the end of the month.
The strikes are due to take place in regions across Italy from Monday, December 12th to Friday 16th, with workers in most parts of the country participating for just one of the five strike days.
The Cgil and Uil unions have said the draft budget is anti-worker, and that they want something "fairer for the people and more useful for the country."
Demands include increased wages in line with inflation, an end to precarious work contracts, and the abolition of the 2011 Fornero Law, which increased the retirement age and changed how pensions are calculated.
In addition to transport services, schools, universities and research and training institutes will be affected, as well as the health sector.
Strikes in different areas will be of varying duration, with workers in some regions demonstrating for four hours, others for eight hours, and others for 24 hours, according to news site Canale Dieci.
It's currently unclear whether transport services will be affected in every region, but people intending to travel on strike days should factor it into their plans.
Here's where and when the strikes are taking place this week.
Monday
The strikes are due to kick off in the southern region of Calabria, according to the news outlet Virgilio.
A demonstration is scheduled to take place outside the prefecture in the regional capital of Catanzaro from 11am, with the Cgil and Uil Calabria general secretaries due to attend.
Tuesday
On Tuesday it will be Sicily and Umbria's turn to strike. Cgil general secretary Maurizio Landini is reportdly scheduled to speak in Piazza Italia in Perugia, Umbria's regional capital, at 11am.
Staff of the low-cost airline Easyjet are also reportedly planning a 24-hour strike on this day, as are Italian air traffic control workers.
Wednesday
On Wednesday workers in Puglia, Trentino, Valle d'Aosta and Veneto are set to protest.
An event is due to be held in Bari's Piazza Federico II at 11.30 am.
Thursday
Workers in Abruzzo, Marche and Piedmont are due to strike on Thursday.
Friday
The final day of the strike is set to be the biggest, with workers in the remaining regions of Alto Adige, Basilicata, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Lombardy, Molise, Sardinia, Tuscany and Lazio joining the action.
In particular, a rail strike has been called by the Fgil union for regional (not long-distance) train services in Campania between 9am and 5pm on Friday, according to Virgilio.
Meanwhile a 24-hour strike has reportedly been called in Lazio, with a large demonstration planned in Rome's Piazza Santi Apostoli.
And in Liguria local transport services, as well as the ports and the logistics sector, will be subject to strike action for 24 hours, according to Canale Dieci.
Local public transport in Rome is set to be shut down from 8pm to midnight, while in Milan transport will likely be affected from 6pm to 10pm, according to media reports.
Motorway service station strike
Motorway service stations in Italy will also engage in a 72-hour nationwide strike from 10pm on Tuesday, December 13th to 10pm on Friday December 16th, according to the trade publication Trasporti Italia.
The trade organisations of the service and station federations Faib, Fegica and Anisa are reportedly protesting against a system which delivers generous profits to concessionaires with little quality or price control.
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