General strike in Italy: trains, flights and ports hit over cost of living
The USB union and other groups are striking for 24 hours against rising prices and military spending. Rail, air travel, taxis, motorways and many ports are affected.
Symbolic image · Photo: Thomas Dahlstrøm Nielsen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Italy is facing a 24-hour general strike across the public and private sectors on Friday. It was called by the grassroots union Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), backed by Cobas and other organizations. They are protesting against the rising cost of living and spending on the military and rearmament. The unions want wages to be automatically linked to inflation again through the "scala mobile," lower VAT on basic necessities and a shift of funds from the military to health care and education.
Rail services are affected from 9 p.m. Thursday to 9 p.m. Friday, with strikes at Trenitalia, Italo and Trenord. Commuter trains are guaranteed between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Air travel and taxis are affected all day, and motorway staff have been on strike since Thursday evening. In Rome, ATAC public transport is guaranteed only until 8:30 a.m. and between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Dockworkers in Genoa, Livorno, Trieste, Gioia Tauro and other ports are joining an international day of action against the arms trade. Organizers say the action covers more than 100 ports in 17 countries. USB is holding rallies in Rome from 10:30 a.m. in Piazza dei Cinquecento outside Termini station and in Milan from 10 a.m. Student protests are also expected in major cities.