February 24th – Nationwide public transport strike
Commuters around Italy may experience disruption on Monday, February 24th, as staff at public transport operators plan to strike for 24 hours.
The impact of the strike, which was called by the USB union, is expected to vary from city to city.
The walkout is set to affect all types of local public transport, from surface services (buses, trams, commuter trains, water buses and ferries) to underground metro lines, but won't impact long-distance rail services and taxis.
READ ALSO: How will Italy's national public transport strike affect travel on Monday?
Under Italy’s strike laws, public transport operators are required to provide a number of essential services during protests falling on weekdays to allow commuters to travel to and from work.
You can find details on guaranteed services in major Italian cities in our separate article.
February 24th – EasyJet staff strike
Italy-based pilots at British budget airline EasyJet plan to hold a four-hour strike – from 12pm to 4pm – on Monday, February 24th
EasyJet flights headed to or departing from Italy may experience delays and/or cancellations as a result of the walkout.
EasyJet flights to and from Venice Marco Polo and Palermo Falcone Borsellino will not be affected by the protest, according to Italy’s Strike Guarantee Commission.
The protest is backed by unions ANPAC, CGIL and UIL.
February 28th – Airport staff strikes in Venice and Bergamo
Baggage handlers at Venice Marco Polo plan to take part in a 24-hour strike on Friday, February 28th.
Baggage handlers at Bergamo Orio al Serio are planning a four-hour strike (from 12pm to 4pm) on the same day.
It’s currently unclear whether these walkouts will affect inbound and outbound flights at the above-mentioned hubs.
Besides flights, the protest may also affect ground operations including check-in and baggage drop-off or collection services.
How bad are strikes in Italy?
Strikes in Italy are frequent but not all of them cause significant disruption for travellers.
The severity of disruption caused by any strike in the country largely depends on how many staff in any part of the transport sector decide to participate on the day.
Even in the case of highly disruptive strikes, some essential services (or servizi minimi) are guaranteed to run at peak times. This goes for all transport sectors, from local public transport to rail and air travel.
What to do if your flight is cancelled
If you're flying to, from or within the EU, you have the right to either a refund or rebooking, and the airline must always offer you the choice.
If you're booked onto a later flight and have to wait for more than two hours, you're entitled to assistance such as food and drink.
And in the case of cancellations at short notice you may also be able to claim compensation.
Find full details here.
What to do if your train is cancelled
If a pre-booked rail service is cancelled due to strike action in Italy, passengers are normally allowed to travel on other equivalent services or are entitled to a refund.
For further information on how to request a refund from Italy’s two major train companies Trenitalia and Italo, see our article.
You can see a full rundown of all the walkouts planned for the coming weeks and months on the Italian transport ministry’s strike calendar (available in Italian).
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