Transport strikes are hardly unusual during Italy’s summer months, and this year will be no exception.
As the summer travel season gets underway, Italian unions representing airline, railway and public transport staff have called multiple strikes for July, which threaten to affect the travel plans of locals and international visitors.
READ ALSO: Why are there so many transport strikes in Italy?
Strikes are usually planned and announced well in advance in Italy though, and the Italian transport ministry lists them on a handy calendar.
The following walkouts are expected to cause at least some disruption in the coming weeks:
July 24th: Public transport staff all around the country will take part in a four-hour walkout on Monday, July 24th.
The strike was called last week by USB, one of Italy’s major trade unions, to demand the introduction of a national minimum salary and stronger measures on workplace safety.
The walkout is expected to affect all types of local public transport, from metro lines to surface services (buses, trams, ferries, etc.), and may result in major delays and/or cancellations.
As it’s usually the case with public transport strikes in Italy, the start and end times of the protest will vary from city to city, as will the amount of disruption caused by it.
No further details about the strike were available at the time of writing, with further information expected to emerge closer to the date.
No more nationwide strikes have been confirmed beyond July 24th, but protests can also be announced at short notice.
Anyone flying to or from Italy between July 27th and September 5th can breathe easy: strikes (at least Italian ones) are unlikely to affect your journey between these dates.
Industrial action impacting Italy's air transport sector is not allowed during the peak summer travel period from the end of July to the beginning of September.
This is called the franchigia estiva, or ‘summer exemption period’, and it exists partly to protect Italy’s highly lucrative tourism industry.
This rule doesn't prevent other types of transport strikes from going ahead in Italy, though strikes of any sort tend to be relatively few and far between during the hottest months of the year.
How bad are strikes in Italy?
Italy's strikes may be frequent but they don't always cause much disruption for travellers.
The severity of disruption caused by any strike in Italy largely depends on how many staff in any part of the transport sector decide to participate.
READ ALSO: Should you travel in Italy when there’s a strike on?
And, even in the case of highly disruptive strikes, essential services (or servizi minimi) are guaranteed to operate at some times of the day, which are commonly known as fascie protette (‘protected time windows’).
This goes for all transport sectors, from local public transport to rail and air travel.
Keep up with the latest updates in The Local's strike news section.
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