The strike also extends to flights and trains. Archive photo: Shutterstock Significant development in Italy towards the end of the week: Three days before the general strike scheduled for Friday, October 30, 2026, the conflict between the USB workers' organization and the country's authorities intensified today (Tuesday, October 27), following an attempt to prevent the strike in the transportation sector.
In an official statement issued by the union, it was stated that the strike control committee has asked the government to exercise authority that would allow Transport Minister Matteo Salvini to issue an order requiring workers in the transport sector to report to work during the strike. The request was justified by the restrictions that apply to strikes around November 2.
According to the union, the Ministry of Transportation summoned its representatives yesterday, October 26, for a process that may lead to the order being issued.
However, USB makes it clear it has no intention of withdrawing from the struggle. The union announced that it is insisting on holding the strike, despite the possibility of a government order being issued and the financial sanctions that may be imposed for violating it.
According to the official strike schedule of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the general strike announced by USB was recorded on October 6 and also includes the transportation sectors.
These are the published dates:
Aviation: Friday, October 30, from midnight to 11:59 p.m.
Trains: From Thursday, October 29, at 9:00 PM to Friday, October 30, at 8:59 PM.
Local public transportation: according to the hours and format to be determined at the local level.
Taxis: Friday, from 00:01 to 23:59.
Highway maintenance: The strike was declared effective Thursday at 10:00 p.m. All times are Italian time.
In addition, the Ministry of Transport has announced a separate strike by employees of the companies Toscana Aeroporti, GH Toscana and Consulta, which operate at the airports of Florence and Pisa. The strike was announced for October 30 and will last 24 hours.
Port workers in Italy are also included in a separate national strike announcement for the same day. However, it is important to distinguish between the scope of the announced strike and the actual disruptions that will occur. At this stage, no official, verified figure has been published on how many flights or trains will be canceled.
In a USB statement today, the union strongly opposes the possibility of the Minister of Transportation exercising authority to require workers to come to work. The union claims that restrictions on strikes in essential service sectors violate workers' rights to protest their employment conditions, wages, and safety standards.
The union also refers to the proceedings it conducted at the Council of Europe regarding restrictions on the right to strike in Italy, and claims that the restrictions that apply during certain periods of the year are part of the problem.
In its statement, USB says it is prepared to inform employees about possible personal sanctions if they participate in a strike in violation of a government order, should one be issued.
In a previous announcement, published on October 26, the union noted that an employee who violated such an order could be subject to a personal administrative fine of €500 to €1,000. In addition, the union itself could face significant financial sanctions.
USB clarified that it intends to provide employees with legal assistance in defending against sanctions, but not to pay the individual fines on their behalf.
Recall that, at the end of September, we reported about the wave of strikes planned in Italy during October, including the general strike announced for the end of the month.
The USI-CIT strike announcement, which was known at the time, excluded the aviation, railway, public transportation, and maritime transportation sectors.
However, on October 6, the USB organization added a separate announcement that also includes the transportation industries.
The new development now is the Supervisory Committee's request for government intervention, and the union's announcement that it insists on holding the strike despite the possibility of an order requiring work. This is therefore a matter of several declarations by various labor organizations and a new controversy regarding the possibility of holding the strike in its planned format.
The planned strike affects several of the country's major transportation systems, and could affect travelers planning flights, intercity rail travel, public transportation, and airport arrivals. Travelers planning to arrive or depart from Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, Naples, and other destinations are advised to check schedules and operator announcements before setting off.
The high-speed rail company Italo has already published information about trains whose service is guaranteed during the planned strike.
The focus is on travel on October 29 and 30, especially for travelers planning to combine train and flight on the same day.
As of October 27, the strike still appears on the official calendar of the Italian Ministry of Transport, and the USB organization states that it intends to hold it.
However, the union's new announcement indicates that a process is underway that may end in a government order mandating work in the transportation sector.