2023-04-20 17:31:35
The latest in a long line of transport strikes will hit Italy during the day on Friday, as staff from Italy’s national rail company Trenitalia and northern regional operator Trenord plan an eight-hour walkout between 9am and 5pm.
No details of affected services have been published, though Trenitalia warned in a press release on Wednesday that the walkout “could have a significant impact on railway traffic and lead to total and partial cancellations of Frecce, Intercity and Trenitalia regional trains.”
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Rail services “may be subject to cancellations or changes” during the day, the company said, including in the hours before and after the scheduled strike.
The amount of disruption will ultimately depend on how many staff participate in the strike on Friday, though unions said they were set for a “major confrontation” with the company over unacceptable working conditions, with “critical issues” relating to shift patterns and meal breaks.
Strike action by unions representing staff at northern operator Trenord was expected to be less disruptive.
“In similar circumstances, strike participation was not significant,” the unions involved reportedly stated. “Therefore, no interruptions to rail traffic in Lombardy are expected.”
Unions added that the airport bus service from central Milan (Cadorna) to Malpensa Airport was guaranteed to run on Friday, though said some “limitations” to the service were possible.
READ ALSO: Should you travel in Italy when there’s a strike on?
Trenitalia advised passengers to check the status of their service before setting off via updates available on the company’s app and website.
The company also published a list of rail services deemed “essential” which were guaranteed to run during a strike.
Rail services run by other companies, including local public transport services in Italian cities, will not be affected by the strike.
The next round of transport strikes in Italy is expected on Wednesday, April 19th, when airport handling and ground support staff will take part in a nationwide 24-hour protest, and staff from Milan’s public transport operator ATM will also strike during the morning.
You can keep up to date with the latest strike news from Italy HERE.
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