November is set to bring a wave of strikes across Italy, with transport services facing several days of potential disruption. The key dates to mark on the calendar are November 9, 11, 20 and 21, when industrial action is planned across the railways, telecommunications and public sectors. The month’s largest mobilization will be the nationwide general strike called by CGIL for Friday, November 20. Here is an overview of the planned walkouts and the sectors affected.
November 9: Italo train services
The first major disruption is expected on Monday, November 9, when employees of private rail operator Italo-Ntv are due to strike. Five trade unions—Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Ugl Ferrovieri, Fast Confsal and Orsa Trasporti—have called an eight-hour strike, from 9.01am to 4.59pm, over demands for a renewed employment contract and improvements to pay and working conditions. A separate 22-hour strike has also been called by Uil Trasporti, involving Italo train crew and operational staff from 2am until 11.59pm on the same day. The unions say months of negotiations have failed to produce an agreement. Key issues include salary increases, improved protections for onboard and station staff, pension provisions and parental rights.
November 11: Nationwide call centre strike
On Wednesday, November 11, workers in Italy’s CRM/BPO sector, which includes customer service operations and call centres, are expected to strike for the entire working day. The action has been called by Slc Cgil, Fistel Cisl and Uilfpc Uil in response to growing employment concerns in the sector, which has been affected by company-level disputes, the use of wage support schemes and announcements of planned redundancies. The unions are calling on the government to open discussions on measures to protect jobs and support workers through the sector’s digital transformation.
November 20: CGIL general strike
The most extensive industrial action is scheduled for Friday, November 20, when the CGIL trade union has called a nationwide general strike involving both public and private sector workers. The walkout will cover the entire working day and is expected to include outsourced services and supporting operations. The union is protesting against the rising cost of living and what it considers inadequate government economic policies, particularly the 2027 budget. The action could lead to reduced services and disruption across several sectors.
November 20–21: Further rail strikes
Rail passengers face another potential disruption between Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21. Transport unions Cub Trasporti and Sgb Ferrovie have called a 23-hour strike involving employees of railway companies and rail freight operators, running from 9pm on November 20 until 8pm on November 21. For some railway companies that also operate local public transport services, the strike will instead cover the entire working day on November 21. This industrial action is separate from the CGIL general strike scheduled for November 20. Passengers are advised to check with their rail operators before travelling, as services may be subject to changes or cancellations.
