A general strike is the broadest form of industrial action: it does not concern one company or sector, but involves public and private workers across several sectors at once. For anyone who needs to travel it is also the hardest to predict, because it brings together trains, urban transport, sometimes flights and ferries, as well as schools and offices.
Who calls it
A general strike is called by union confederations — such as CGIL and UIL — or by grassroots unions such as USB, CUB or the Cobas. It can be national or limited to one area, and it can last a full day or a few hours. There are also multi-sector strikes, which involve several sectors without being general.
The rules still apply
A general strike must also follow law 146/1990 in essential services: notice, guaranteed bands, protected periods. The strike authority checks it sector by sector, and the Government can intervene with a precettazione order, for example shortening the stoppage in transport.
That is why, in a general strike, different sectors can have different hours: transport may strike for fewer hours than other sectors, and rail often follows its own evening start time.
What happens to transport
- Trains: the guaranteed trains published by operators run.
- Buses, trams, metro: service is provided in the guaranteed bands set by each local operator.
- Flights: the 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00 bands and ENAC guaranteed flights apply, if the strike covers air transport.
- Ferries: essential links are guaranteed, especially to the smaller islands.
Schools, healthcare and offices
In schools, staff turnout is not known in advance: families are told that normal lessons may not be guaranteed, and often find out that morning whether the class goes in. In healthcare, urgent and emergency care is always guaranteed. In public offices, services may be reduced.
How to plan
- Check which sectors take part and with what hours: a general strike is not the same for everyone.
- Travel in guaranteed bands or choose modes not involved.
- Recheck the day before: general strikes are among those most often modified.
Dates already called are in the strike calendar and on the upcoming strikes page.