In Italy the right to strike is written into the Constitution (article 40), but in essential public services — and transport is one — it is exercised within a precise framework. That framework is what makes train, bus and air strikes predictable: they are known days ahead, they have set hours, and part of the service always keeps running. This guide covers the basic rules; for today's situation see strikes today.
Law 146/1990 and essential services
The key statute is law 146 of 1990, reformed by law 83 of 2000. It says that in services protecting personal rights — freedom of movement, health, education — strikes must be balanced against those rights. In practice anyone calling a strike must:
- give minimum notice, normally ten days;
- state the duration and form of the stoppage;
- guarantee essential services, meaning minimum provision;
- respect a minimum interval between one strike and the next affecting the same users.
The details — which hours, how many trains, which flights — are set sector by sector by agreements between companies and unions or, failing that, by "provisional rules" adopted by the strike authority.
Notice: why strikes are known in advance
Ten days' notice exists for one purpose: giving people time to organise. For the same reason transport companies must tell passengers how the strike will run and which services are guaranteed at least five days before.
Every strike call is filed on the strike dashboard of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the official source this site also draws on. For dates already known see upcoming strikes and the calendar for the year.
Guaranteed service bands
Service never drops to zero during a strike. Each sector has protected hours: on local public transport six hours in total, placed at peak times and set company by company; on regional trains the weekday morning and evening; in air transport the 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00 bands. They are explained in the guide to guaranteed service bands.
Oversight: the strike authority and precettazione
The Commissione di Garanzia, the authority supervising strike law, checks that each strike call follows the rules. If it finds problems — too little notice, overlap with another strike, a protected period — it asks the union to correct or postpone, and can penalise those who do not comply.
When a strike risks serious harm to citizens' rights, the Government or the Prefect can step in with a precettazione order, which can postpone the stoppage, shorten it or impose wider minimum services.
National, regional, company-level
The word "strike" covers very different situations. A national strike covers a whole sector across Italy; a regional or local one a single area; a company strike a single operator — Trenord, ATM, ATAC, an airline. The category that walks out matters too: if drivers strike, vehicles stay put; if cleaning or ticket-office staff strike, services run.
A general strike is a special case because it involves several sectors at once: see the guide to general strikes.
Why an announced strike can be called off
Much can happen between the call and the date: an agreement, an invitation from the authority, a precettazione order. Withdrawal is therefore a normal outcome. There is a limit, though: withdrawing close to the date without an agreement behind it is considered improper, because it causes disruption anyway. That is why dates should be rechecked the day before.
How to prepare
- Check the scope: national, regional or company-level, and whether it covers your route.
- Check the hours: many national rail strikes start at 21:00 the evening before.
- Travel in the middle of a guaranteed band, not at its edges.
- Keep tickets and bookings: you will need them for a refund.
With the C'è Sciopero app you get a notification when a strike is called that affects the services and areas you follow, days in advance.