Rail strikes to disrupt travel in Italy in May

Several strikes by railway staff are set to disrupt travel across Italy this month.

The CaT union, which represents transport workers, has called for a 24-hour national strike this weekend in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The labour action, from 21.00 on Saturday 4 May to 20.59 on Sunday 5 May, will affect the FS Group, Trenitalia, Trenitalia Tper and Trenord and likely cause disruption to the country’s entire railway network.

Another national strike by staff at Trenitalia and Trenord is set for 19 May, where engine personnel will walk off the job for 23 hours from 03.00 on 19 May to 02.00 on 20 May.

Meanwhile, regional strikes in both the north and south of the country will cause travellers additional angst. 

Security staff at the Naples garrison of national railway Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) will strike for eight hours (between 10.00 and 18.00) on 10 May, while railway maintenance workers in Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the country’s north, will down tools for eight hours (between 09.00 and 17.00) on 17 May.

Additionally, several unions representing transport workers have called for a 24-hour strike on Monday 6 May, which will see bus drivers and metro operators walk off the job in cities such as Milan, Bologna, Rome and Genoa.