Italians to face disruptions in public transport as trade unions call for 1-day strike on Wednesday

ROME

Italians will face disruptions in public transport as trade unions have called for a one-day wheel jam strike on Wednesday to put pressure on the government to raise wages, improve working conditions as well as enhance workers' and commuters' safety protections.

According to the law, unions must guarantee normal service for a few hours during the strike to allow people to commute to work in the morning and return in the afternoon by bus, train, or tube.

"The tremendous rise in the cost of living, the constant rise in unemployment, and the price of fuel have pushed millions of people to use public transport," said a statement issued on Monday by the Unione Sindacale di Base or USB, an umbrella organization of various trade unions.

This is the first strike announced by the union this year, following a series of wheel jam protests in late 2023.

In October last year, the Italian government led by Giorgia Meloni approved a 2024 budget including measures worth around €24 billion (about $26 billion) in tax cuts and increased spending, despite concerns over the country's massive debt.

However, the USB statement said the authorities did not address their workers' concerns, such as salary increases and improving their and commuters' safety conditions while emphasizing the importance of increasing investments in public transportation, particularly railways.

Instead, the union lamented that the government’s public spending on the transportation sector has been reduced without meeting the demand for higher wages.

Matteo Salvini, the country's Transport Minister, has frequently criticized unions for disrupting ordinary people's lives with strikes, and he has intervened on several occasions to shorten the duration of their strike in the best interests of commuters.