Strikes in Italy

Strikes are very commonplace in Italy – especially transportation strikes. They are a way of life here and you just have to adjust your plans if you get caught up in one. Strikes are on the rise. Reports indicate that in 2008 strikes were up more than 17% over 2007 – OUCH! In 2008, unions declared 413 bus and metro strikes, 301 airline strikes and 216 train strikes. About a third of these were cancelled but the threat still managed to cause serious transportation disruptions. In February 2009 legislation was introduced to curtail strikes by unions… but at this time the bill is still working its way through “the process” and if the unions have their say, it will NEVER get approved.

In Italy, a strike or temporary work stoppage is called Lo Sciopero (plural scioperi). A sciopero can be national or local. It can impact just one sector or many. Most strikes only last from four hours to one day. And most are local, not national. As a traveler, transportation strikes will impact you the most. Strikes are planned and announced in advance. I’ve read somewhere that strikes must be announced two weeks in advance but I’m not sure I can verify that. Suffice to know, if you check the sites I recommend, you will know of an impending strike. If you are already traveling in-country, look for the word sciopero on signs in stations. It’s also not a bad idea to check with you hotel or B&B and just ask about any strikes that may occur when and where you are planning to travel.

Unfortunately, there have been many rail strikes in Italy the past few years. Usually the strikes take place on weekends, say from 9 PM Saturday to 9 PM Sunday. The law (Essential services in the event of strike (law no.146 of June 12, 1990) does guarantee a “minimum service,” so a few trains still run. On the Trenitalia website there is a list of all trains that are required to operate. That’s the good news. The bad news? The list is all in Italian. But with a little bit of work and intuition you CAN figure it out. The Trenitalia website is:

Here you can click on the origination city and it will show you the guaranteed “runs.” If you book on a “guaranteed run” you should have no problems traveling even if there is a strike. Trains that are cancelled due to strikes are marked by “cancellato.” Those that are running, or confirmed, are designated by “confermato.” if you are stuck then consider alternatives such as local or regional bus opportunities.

There are a few provision of the law, Essential services in the event of strike (law no.146 of June 12, 1990), that may help you.

• Trenitalia guarantees minimum transport services
• For local transport, essential services have been planned for the peak time-bands (from 06:00 to 09:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00 Mon-Sat)
• Some long-distance trains are also guaranteed on all days including holidays
• If trains that are traveling when a strike begins are not cancelled at their departure station, they will normally reach their final destination – UNLESS those destination stations cannot be reached within one hour from the strike’s beginning… Okay, to me this one might be bad news… especially if I’m on the 4.5 hour train to Venice from Rome!
• Pay attention to media and Station notices for updates!
• In the event of a strike by Trenitalia personnel, connections between Rome and Fiumicino Airport are always guaranteed on the “Leonardo Express”. You may have to travel by shuttle bus but they will get you there during a strike.

There are also frequent urban transportation strikes. My experience has been that bus and metro strikes usually last about four hours and generally start after morning rush hour and are completed before evening rush hour – how civil! We have been through one 24-hour strike in Rome in the last year.

Most of the strikes involving airlines have revolved around the troubled Alitalia. They have now been bought out by a new group – the Alitalia union employees promptly went on strike – gotta love it! To this day, I still avoid booking with them if I can. There are also strikes by ground staff (No, your luggage is NOT coming today!), air traffic controllers, etc. When these happen, and they usually last about four hours, flights are delayed and some cancelled. All you can do is be patient!

Thus, if you’re coming to Italy it’s best to be prepared. A strike could impede your ability to get to back to your departure airport city and thus could prevent you from getting home. So be aware of any strikes during the period you are traveling. There are two websites I use to get strike information.

First in English, you can use: http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp . These folks detail national strikes and these are the ones that will cause you the most concern. If you pull up this site you will also be notified of strikes that have been cancelled – always good to know. About 1/3 of all announced strikes are cancelled.

Another site – in Italian but easy to figure out – is http://www.commissionegaranziasciopero.it/ . When this site comes up, click on the “Calendar,” then on then on “Scioperi Nazionale” (bottom right) and up will come strikes in all parts of Italy! It’s intimidating to see all the strikes listed. But look for the national strikes or just those in area where you will be traveling! Or you can try this site, also in Italian, which shows only Transportation strikes: http://www.mit.gov.it/mit/site.php?p=scioperi (Italian Ministry of Transport).

Sometimes even with the best planning, “Strikes happen!” So go find a good restaurant or cafe and just hang out. Adjust your plans and move on. And…Welcome to Italy!

Summary – Strike Links

In English – Summer in Italy website
In Itatlian – National Strikes
In Italian -Ministry of Transport Stike Announcenments
In Italian – Trenitalia, Guarenteed Routes during a Strike

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Header: Verso lo sciopero Generale – Photo by GhostSwann