Planes and trains: Italy’s calendar for 2022 summer strikes

Strikes are a regular occurrence during Italy’s busy summer months – especially in the transport sector.

This year is no exception. Strikes over wages and working conditions began in June and continued throughout July, causing significant disruption to those travelling to, from and within the country. 

At present, there are no major strikes scheduled for August, though the situation is constantly changing.

Italy’s transport ministry has a handy calendar showing any scheduled local, regional or national strike action, which you can find here.

But unplanned demonstrations can’t be ruled out – especially in the case of taxi drivers, who have held a series of unannounced demonstrations in Rome and other cities in recent weeks.

How bad are strikes in Italy?

National strikes often turn out to be less disruptive than expected, partly because both railway operators and airlines tend to guarantee essential services during all strike actions.

However, the magnitude of any planned demonstration largely depends on the level of participation by  staff in the industries involved.

Rail strikes

There are no railway strikes planned for August.

Should last-minute strikes be organised, national operator Trenitalia, which runs high-speed Frecce services as well as many regional and local lines, ensures “minimum transport services” in agreement with trade unions.

You can check here which national and regional trains are guaranteed in case of a strike.

The company also advises passengers to pay “close attention” to strike-related announcements made at stations or on their online platforms.

Fair warning: you can expect delays, overcrowding and cancellations even before or after the actual strike times.

Airline strikes

At the moment there are no airline or airport staff strikes scheduled for August.

After a number of planned strikes caused a significant degree of disruption to travellers over the course of June and July, Italian trade unions seem to have momentarily buried the hatchet.

But, once again, unforeseen airline strikes are not to be categorically excluded. 

Note that strikes affecting your destination country could also affect your trip. Notably, some flights may be cancelled due to EU-wide staff shortages.

As such, passengers should always reach out to their airline to check whether their journeys will take place as planned.

For information on the compensation air passengers might be entitled to in case of flight delays or cancellations, check our guide here.

READ ALSO: Airport chaos in Europe: What are your rights if flights are delayed or cancelled?

What’s the reason behind summer strikes?

Most of the strikes are over wage disputes, with unions saying that the soaring cost of living should result in salary increases for staff. Some unions mentioned “arbitrary wage cuts” and “companies’ refusal to grant minimum annual leave over the summer” as well.

Transport strikes of all types are common in Italy during the summer months.

However, the country doesn’t seem to have been hit by the severe staffing shortages seen in some other EU states. This is likely due to Italy’s ban on layoffs amid the pandemic and the financial incentives offered to companies to keep staff on reduced hours instead of firing them.

This article will be updated throughout the summer.