Transport strike, stop for 24 hours: Italy paralysed
Today, Saturday 5 October, public transport in Italy is paralyzed by the 24-hour national strike called by the Orsa union. Trains, buses, trams and subways involved in a protest action that aims to draw attention to crucial issues such as wages, workplace safety and workers’ rights in the sector. In Rome, the block affects the entire Atac network, including subcontracted services. The unrest also involves peripheral buses, generating heavy inconvenience for commuters in the capital.
In Milan, the scenario is different: the strike was called off by the prefect Claudio Sgaraglia to avoid chaos during high-attendance events such as the pro-Palestine demonstration and the evening match between Inter and Turin, which will attract around 65,000 fans. The measure was taken to avoid problems of public order, given the coincidence of the events with the strike time slot.
Even Naples is not exempt from the protest, with ANM having communicated the timetables and guarantee bands for the urban service. Funiculars, buses, trolleybuses and metro lines will only be active during certain time slots, leaving large areas of disruption in the rest of the day.
The strike will also extend to other Italian cities: Bologna, Genoa, and several areas of Trentino-Alto Adige are involved. Essential services will only be guaranteed during the established time slots, with serious repercussions on travellers. The Orsa union, promoter of the agitation, denounces the increase in workloads, the worsening of safety conditions and the stagnation of wages as the main reasons for the protest. In a note, it is underlined how the erosion of purchasing power, combined with a continuous attack on fundamental rights, is impoverishing the category of rail and tram drivers, leading more and more workers to leave the sector. The accusation is directed not only at the companies, but also at the government, guilty – according to the union – of not having adopted concrete measures to protect local public transport workers.
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