Italy faces national rail strike on 11 June

Train passengers in Italy can expect delays and cancellations on 11 June. Italy faces disruption to rail services across the country on Thursday 11 June due to an eight-hour national strike by train staff and railway workers. The walkout, scheduled from 09.01 until 17.00, has been called by numerous trade unions: Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl Ferrovieri, Fast Confsal and Orsa Trasporti. The industrial action may lead to cancellations, delays and changes to services on both regional and long-distance routes. Why has the strike been called? The unions say the government has ignored their concerns about the future structure of Italy's rail network. At the centre of the dispute is the transport ministry's plan to put the Intercity train service out to competitive tender, splitting it into three unequal lots rather than maintaining it as a single contract. The unions argue this fragmentation threatens the jobs of around 3,000 railway workers currently employed by Trenitalia, part of the Ferrovie dello Stato group, and that the tender lacks binding social clauses to protect those workers' continued employment. The unions also cite uncertainty about infrastructure investment once funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) runs out, and concerns about the planned entry of French operator SNCF into Italy's profitable high-speed network. They warn that allowing a foreign operator to run services without a defined reference contract could trigger a race to the bottom on labour costs, to the detriment of both workers and passengers. In a statement, Filt-Cgil secretary general Stefano Malorgio said the idea that splitting the Intercity service into multiple lots would improve passenger mobility was "illusory", warning it would only weaken the Ferrovie dello Stato group and put workers at risk. The transport ministry said it had been "working for some time, on the direct instruction of Minister Salvini, to resolve the problem and avoid the mobilisation", and acknowledged the unions' concerns on the Intercity tender as "understandable". What services are affected? The strike covers the railway sector and is expected to affect national train services, including those operated by Trenitalia. Urban public transport services - including metro, bus and tram networks - are not involved and will run normally. Passengers travelling on 11 June are advised to check the status of their train in advance via the official websites and apps of their rail operator, and to monitor any service updates. For official information on upcoming strikes in Italy, see the transport ministry website. Photo credit: Massimo Todaro / Shutterstock.com