Union sets nationwide strike on the 20th! November Italian Traffic Impact Calendar
Traveling in Italy this November may be a bit troublesome. According to the current strike calendar, there have been many strikes in the transportation and other fields throughout November, with the most severe being on November 20th and 21st.
CGIL launches nationwide strike on November 20th
The largest trade union organization in Italy, CGIL, has officially announced that it will launch a nationwide general strike. The union said that with high prices and inflation, ordinary employees, retirees, students, and young people are under great pressure, but the government has not come up with effective solutions. On the contrary, military spending is increasing, while investment in healthcare, education, social welfare, and housing subsidies is seriously insufficient. The union also protested against the pension system's failure to suspend raising the retirement age, as well as issues such as unfair tax reform and ineffective crackdown on tax evasion.
Due to the nationwide strike across the entire industry, on November 20th, the public sector, private enterprises, even outsourcing departments and auxiliary service industries will cease work throughout the day. According to the law, emergency and necessary public services will still maintain basic operations, but most daily services will be greatly impacted. The specific ways for various industries to participate in strikes will be announced by relevant trade unions in the near future.
Traffic will be fully affected on November 21st, with guaranteed periods in key cities
In addition to the nationwide strike on the 20th, there will also be a nationwide strike in the entire Italian train system on November 21st. Coincidentally, the air transportation industry and public transportation departments in multiple cities have also scheduled strikes on this day.
In terms of urban public transportation, according to legal regulations, major cities have set up guarantee periods, usually during the rush hour of morning and evening commuting:
Milan ATM: Strike on November 13th and November 21st, affecting the subway and suburban buses. It is expected that the first bus during the morning rush hour will operate until 08:45, and during the evening rush hour from 15:00 to 18:00, with guaranteed operation. The number of trips during other time periods will be significantly reduced.
Venice ACTV/ATV: On November 13th and 21st, water buses will only maintain basic services on the main lines, while land buses are usually available from 06:00 to 09:00 and from 16:30 to 19:30.
ANM/EAV in Naples: There will be a 4-hour strike from 11:00 to 15:00 on November 16th, and the EAV line will also be affected on the 21st. The morning and evening peak hours will remain normal.
Barry AMTAB: On November 14th, there will be a full day strike, and the city's public transportation guarantee period is from 05:30 to 08:30 and from 12:30 to 15:30.
Details of railway and aviation strikes
In terms of railways, this major strike lasted from 21:00 on November 20th to 20:00 on November 21st, totaling 23 hours. Trenitalia and Italo will release a list of guaranteed operating trains before departure. The majority of high-speed rail mainlines during peak hours, as well as regional trains from 06:00 to 09:00 and 18:00 to 21:00 from Monday to Saturday, are guaranteed.
In terms of aviation, there will be a 4-hour strike by air traffic controllers nationwide from 13:00 to 17:00 on November 21st; On November 22nd, some ground crew members at Milan Malpensa and Venice Marco Polo airports will also participate in the strike. According to the regulations of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the legal flight hours are from 07:00 to 10:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00 every day, during which takeoff and landing flights are not affected.
Refunds, changes, and rights protection after itinerary obstruction
If travel plans are affected by strikes, passengers have clear rights protection.
Railway refund, modification and compensation: If the train is cancelled or the expected arrival delay exceeds 60 minutes, passengers can apply for a 100% full refund through the official website, app or ticket window before departure, or can reschedule for the nearest available subsequent flight for free. If you choose to continue traveling but end up delaying, you will receive 25% of the ticket price compensation for a delay of 60 to 119 minutes, and 50% compensation for a delay of more than 120 minutes.
Airline refunds and service guarantees: If a flight is cancelled or severely delayed, the airline must provide a full refund or rescheduling service free of charge. If there is a waiting period due to rescheduling, the airline will provide free meal vouchers and overnight accommodation.
People who have travel plans in the near future should plan their itinerary in advance and pay more attention to the latest information released by transportation departments and operators.
