Italy Has Two Strikes Lined Up for the Same Friday Night

Anyone travelling in Italy next weekend should look closely at their plans for Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21. The CGIL, Italy’s largest trade union confederation, has registered a nationwide general strike for the whole of Friday, covering workers in both public and private sectors. On top of that, a separate 23-hour national railway strike called by the CUB Trasporti and SGB Ferrovie unions begins at 9 p.m. on Friday and runs until 8 p.m. on Saturday.

The overlap means the disruption pattern changes through the weekend. Daytime travellers on Friday face the general strike, while anyone catching an evening train on Friday or travelling by rail on Saturday runs into the rail stoppage instead. Trenitalia, Italo and regional operators are all potentially affected, and the ministry’s strike register alone does not say how many trains will be cancelled. Italian law requires guaranteed service bands for many commuter and long-distance trains, so some departures will run even at the height of the action.

Air travel is a separate question. The general strike can affect supporting services, but the official notices do not amount to a blanket shutdown of Italian airports. A different, four-hour nationwide action by ENAV air traffic staff is listed for November 21, and it should not be confused with the rail and general strikes. Local buses, metros and trams in cities such as Rome, Milan and Naples may operate under their own arrangements depending on which unions are involved.

The practical advice is to move anything flexible. If a multi-city itinerary depends on a Friday evening or Saturday train, consider shifting it to Thursday or Sunday, and check the status of each specific train with Trenitalia or Italo the day before and again on the morning of travel. Allow extra time for airport transfers that rely on rail links, such as Rome’s Leonardo Express or Milan’s Malpensa Express, and keep a taxi or rideshare fallback in mind.

Sources: QuiFinanza, Rus Tourism News