Question: “I’m travelling to Italy over the Easter break and I wondered if there will be any strikes?”
Transport strikes are hardly unusual in Italy, with at least two or three national demonstrations taking place each month and a number of regional or local walkouts being held each week.
Strike action has been particularly frequent over the past couple of months as rail, airline and public transport services were all disrupted by union-backed demonstrations on multiple occasions, causing delays or, at times, even cancellations for travellers.
But will the trend continue over Easter, affecting the travel plans of residents as well as international visitors?
READ ALSO: Calendar: The transport strikes to expect in Italy this spring
There currently are no transport strikes planned between Thursday, April 6th and Thursday, April 13th, so, as things stand, travellers shouldn’t expect to face any strike-related disruption during the holidays.
However, it bears pointing out that, under Italian law, all transport strikes scheduled to take place on the 11th day from the date when they were first communicated to the Transport Ministry, can be legally held.
So, for the sake of argument, unions could still plan a strike for Easter Sunday – which falls on April 9th this year – provided that they notified the Transport Ministry by the end of Thursday, March 30th.
That said, scenarios like the one above are highly unlikely given that nearly all transport strikes in Italy are announced at least a month before their scheduled date.
On a different note, while the Easter holidays shouldn’t be affected by any transport staff walkouts, services might run on a reduced schedule on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday as both days are national holidays in Italy.
As a result, those planning on travelling on those dates are advised to check the orari festivi (holiday schedules) of the relevant transport providers.
You can keep up to date with the latest strike news from Italy HERE.
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