Italy's strikes authority asked the unions on Tuesday to postpone strikes planned for Monday February 16th and Friday March 7th, warning they risk causing "serious harm to freedom of movement" during the Winter Olympics, Italian news agency Ansa reported.
The strikes were expected to affect airports across northern Italy at a time when thousands of international visitors are travelling to and from Olympic venues in Milan and the mountain resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
The strike on February 16th was set to be a 24-hour nationwide walkout affecting flight crew and ground staff from ITA Airways, Vueling and EasyJet, as well as ground handling staff at Milan's Malpensa and Linate airports.
The March 7th strike would involve air traffic controllers at Rome's airports for between four and eight hours, depending on the union.
The strike commission urged unions to move the strikes to between February 24th and March 4th - after the Olympics end but before the Paralympic Games begin on March 6th.
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Transport Minister Matteo Salvini backed the request and said he would meet unions on Friday.
"If they say no, I'll intervene as the law allows with an order blocking the strike," he told state broadcaster Rai on Wednesday evening. "We can't block citizens and athletes during these splendid Games."
The government was concerned about how strikes and protests during the events would affect the country's image, Ansa reported, with Meloni recently saying citizens protesting during the Games were "enemies of Italy".
But unions said they wouldn't back down. "We called the strike for ITA Airways and EasyJet following strike regulations," Filt-Cgil union representative Fabrizio Cuscito told Il Sole 24 Ore.
"Negotiations have been going on for months without progress. Unfortunately we have no choice but to strike again to push both companies to renew expired contracts."
The CUB transport union meanwhile said the strike commission was "not even trying to hide its role as a political body serving whichever government is in power,"
It said the February strike wouldn't affect the Olympics "given that athletes and delegations have been warned well in advance."
The Winter Olympics, which run until February 22nd, have already faced transport problems.
A public transport strike in Milan on February 2nd disrupted arrivals ahead of the Games' opening, while an incident of suspected railway sabotage near Bologna on the opening weekend caused widespread delays.
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