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KEY POINTS: What to expect from Italy's transport strikes this week

KEY POINTS: What to expect from Italy's transport strikes this week

Local Italy08-04-2025

A series of transport strikes were expected cause disruption in Italy in the run up to the weekend - though to what extent, and when, was continually evolving as of Tuesday.
There was widespread uncertainty leading up to the walkouts, with Italian media reporting conflicting information and little available in the way of official confirmation.
Here's what we know about the planned walkouts as of Tuesday morning.
Air travel
Flight assistants working for low-cost airline Easyjet said they would take part in a national four-hour strike on Wednesday, April 9th.
The protest, which was expected to start at 10.30am and end at 2.30pm, was called by unions FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL and UIL after negotiations with EasyJet over the improvement of current work contract arrangements fell through.
EasyJet's proposals "have remained insufficient and do not meet the concrete needs of the workers," unions said in a statement.
Easyjet had not announced flight cancellations as of Tuesday morning. Passengers were advised to contact their airline to confirm the status of their flight.
In addition to the Easyjet strike, drivers at Milan's Linate and Malpensa airports planned to walk out over the same window, while workers at Palermo's Falcone Borsellino Airport said they would strike from 10am to 6pm, according to the transport ministry's strike calendar.
Flights scheduled between 7am-10am and 6pm-9pm are protected under Italian law and therefore should go ahead as normal on Wednesday, Italy's civil aviation authority (ENAC) confirmed on its website.
What to do if your flight is cancelled
If you're flying to, from or within the EU, you have the right to either a refund or rebooking, and the airline must always offer you the choice.
If you're booked onto a later flight and have to wait for more than two hours, you're entitled to assistance such as food and drink.
In the case of cancellations at short notice you may also be able to claim compensation.
Find full details here.
Rail travel
A planned 23-hour strike by staff at rail operators Trenitalia, Trenitalia Tper, Trenord and Italo had been expected to cause major disruption on Friday, April 11th leading into Saturday, April 12th.
However, as of Tuesday the strike, which had been due to take place from 3am on April 11th to 2am on April 12th, appeared to have been significantly defanged.
On Sunday, USB, the union behind the walkout, released a statement saying that only railway maintenance workers would participate, while the main strike would be pushed back to May 6th following a government order.
As of Tuesday morning, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, the owner of Italy's railway network, appeared to have removed a statement on its website regarding the walkout.
A separate 24-hour rail strike called the SI-COBAS union for 9pm on Thursday, April 10th to 8.59pm on Friday, April 11th, was set to go ahead as planned.
Trenord, which operates a number of regional trains in the Lombardy region, including connections to and from Milan's Malpensa Airport, said the walkout may have 'repercussions' on regional, suburban, airport and long-distance services.
The operator said it would provide essential services from 6am to 9am and from 6pm to 9pm on Friday. You can see a list of guaranteed services here.
As of Tuesday morning, neither Trenitalia nor long-distance private operator Italo had released a statement on the walkout.
Information on Trenitalia's train services can be found on the Infomobilità section of the Trenitalia website or mobile app, or by calling the toll-free number 800 89 20 21.
Passenger planning to travel with Italo can contact the company's support centre at 892 020 (toll number).

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