TRANSPORT
Disruption to local public transport is expected on Friday with transport staff joining an eight-hour strike over employers’ ‘failure’ to protect them from violence.
Published: 13 September 2022 17:39 CEST
The strike scheduled for Friday, September 16th will be the second demonstration by public transport staff in the space of two weeks. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP
Public transport staff will take part in a nationwide eight-hour strike on Friday, September 16th, an official press release from Italian union FILT-CGIL said earlier on Tuesday.
At the time of writing it wasn’t yet clear how the strike would affect passengers, though significant delays or cancellations can’t be ruled out for all types of public transport.
The strike’s starting time had not yet been disclosed on Tuesday.
Italian trade unions called the strike action in protest against “the violent and reiterated physical attacks suffered by drivers, ticket inspectors and station masters […] from all over the country in the past few months”.
Unions, the report added, are committed to shedding light on employers’ “intolerable” failure to “intervene in defence of their staff”, with further strikes to be expected should the present requests not be met.
The upcoming strike will be the second public transport demonstration in the space of only two weeks.
Last Friday, train staff participated in an eight-hour strike, causing significant travel disruption between 9am and 5pm. The reasons behind the strike were similar, with greater safety measures for drivers and inspectors being at the centre of unions’ requests.
READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about train travel in Italy
There have been numerous reports of physical attacks against public transport staff over the past few months.
At the end of last month, in the province of Pavia (Lombardy), a bus driver was hospitalised after being assaulted by a young passenger who had been previously caught smoking on board.
More recently, another bus driver, this time near Arezzo (Tuscany), was spat at after asking a passenger to put a muzzle on their dog.
Those planning to travel on Friday are advised to check the status of their journey with their public transport operator before setting off.
You may be entitled to compensation or a refund should your scheduled trips be significantly delayed or cancelled.