by InTrieste
Public transportation services in Friuli Venezia Giulia may face significant disruptions today, Friday, June 20, due to a national general strike called by the USB (Unione Sindacale di Base), a grassroots trade union representing public sector workers. The union counts nearly 2,000 members in the region.
The impact is expected to be particularly pronounced in Trieste, where USB maintains a strong presence among public transport workers. Nevertheless, the standard service guarantees during peak hours—from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. and from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.—will remain in effect.
Port activity in Trieste may also experience slowdowns. A high percentage of dockworkers there are affiliated with the USB, raising concerns about potential delays in shipping and logistics operations.
The strike has been organized in opposition to what USB describes as the “militaristic” policies of the Meloni government, particularly regarding increased defense spending in the context of a proposed common European defense strategy. The union also cites growing worker impoverishment, contract renewals failing to keep pace with inflation, worsening industrial crises, and a rise in workplace injuries as key grievances.
In addition, the strike seeks to condemn what USB has called the Italian government’s “complicity” with Israel. The union is calling for a halt to what it terms the “Palestinian genocide” and has criticized lucrative contracts reportedly signed between Italian state-owned companies and the Israeli military.
At the regional level, striking USB members are expected to gather for a demonstration in Trieste’s Piazza della Borsa at 10:30 a.m. A nationwide protest will follow on Saturday in Rome, beginning at 2:00 p.m. in Piazza Vittorio.
Authorities advise commuters and travelers to plan accordingly.
