by InTrieste
A 24-hour general strike set to begin Thursday evening is expected to disrupt travel across Italy, affecting rail services, air travel, schools, healthcare facilities, motorways and much of the public administration. The nationwide action, called by the USB and CUB trade unions, is planned in protest of the government’s proposed 2026 budget bill.
Widespread Transport Disruptions
Airports across the country are preparing for delays and cancellations. ITA Airways announced that it will cancel 26 domestic flights—23 of them scheduled for Friday—due to the strike. Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC, reminds travelers that certain flights are guaranteed during strike periods, specifically between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., and again from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and that a full list of guaranteed flights is available on its website.
Rome’s Fiumicino Airport has also warned passengers that rail connections to and from the airport may be delayed or suspended.
Rail services are expected to be heavily affected. Workers from national operators including Trenitalia, Trenord and Italo will strike from 9 p.m. on Thursday until the same time on Friday. Both Trenitalia and Italo have published lists of guaranteed long-distance routes, while “essential” regional services will operate only during two windows: 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
In Friuli Venezia Giulia, public transport is expected to run normally only until 8:30 a.m. and again between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., according to the city’s website, with buses and subway services otherwise reduced.
Impact on Public Services
Healthcare services will also join the strike, starting from the first shift on Thursday night through the last shift on Friday. Emergency and urgent care, however, will remain guaranteed. The Unicobas union has called a full-day strike for teaching and administrative staff in schools, universities and research centers, potentially disrupting classes nationwide.
Taxi drivers and ferry workers are also expected to participate on Friday, while motorway staff will begin their strike at 10 p.m. on Thursday, continuing for 24 hours.
Union Demands
The USB and CUB unions say the protest centers on demands for increased public investment, wage increases, contract renewals and a lower retirement age. USB has called for the retirement age to be reduced to 62 and for national employment contracts to include a starting minimum wage of at least €2,000. The union has also criticized what it describes as government spending on “new weapons” rather than on social housing and public healthcare.
