General strike on Friday 8 March, are transport at risk?
A general strike is planned for Friday 8 March 2024 which will involve many sectors, seeing the participation of workers from the public, private and cooperative sectors.
The coincidence with International Women's Day 2024 is certainly not coincidental, but was indeed chosen precisely to shed light on still current problems regarding gender discrimination in the world of work.
A protest undoubtedly well-founded and in full line with the origins of this Day, but which will cause significant disservice to Italians.
Schools (including nursery schools), universities, offices and healthcare are just some of the sectors involved, with the risk of completely paralyzing everyday life in most Italian cities.
Precisely for this reason, the Strike Guarantee Commission intervened to define the methods of trade union agitation, mitigating the concrete danger that such a concentration of strikes violates citizens' rights.
In particular, the Commission has focused on the transport sector, which has so far been subject to various organizational changes which have left many doubts for citizens who will have to use public transport.
Here's what we know.
Is transport at risk due to the March 8 strike? As anticipated, the strike methods were redefined by a note from the Strike Guarantee Commission, with attention to the transport and services sector in Abruzzo, as the Region is affected by the electoral consultations of 10 March.
From the press release we learn that an irregularity has been reported, since resolution no.
22/1979 of the Commission prohibits the concentration in general strikes in the passenger transport sector (air, rail, maritime and local public).
Consequently, for transport only the strike called by Slai Cobas for the class union is permitted.
The strike called by the latter will be of a general nature, involving public, private and cooperative sectors for the entire day.
For the transport sector, however, the Union has announced the following methods: railway strike from 00:00 to 21:00; Motorway strike from 00:01 to 23:59; 24-hour local public transport strike; 24-hour air strike; maritime strike for connections to islands longer than 24 hours, from one hour before departures; maritime strike for connections to the smaller islands for 24 hours, from 00:01 on Friday 8 March.
The other trade unions will therefore not be able to join the agitation for the transport sector, with reduced inconvenience for travellers.
The usual guarantee bands, which vary locally, will however be respected.
read also Why is March 8th Women's Day? Origin and meaning The guarantee bands Trenitalia guarantees essential services from 06:00 to 09:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00, limited to the national and regional trains indicated on the official page.
Trains traveling after the strike has started will still arrive at their destination, if they can be reached within an hour.
Trenord follows the same methods as Trenitalia, while Italo has not yet communicated anything.
The guarantee bands, if workers were to participate in the protest, should still be similar, i.e.
those with the greatest attendance.
The document with the minimum services guaranteed by other transport companies, provided by Trenitalia, is attached.
The same principle applies to local public transport, but for the precise timetables, please refer to the communications of the competent companies, as they vary across the territory.
Please remember that the Strike Guarantee Commission has severely limited the protest in Abruzzo, where inconveniences will be reduced to a minimum.
read also Italy and work: between women and digital skills General strike on Friday 8 March The strike on Friday 8 March was proclaimed by Flc CGIL, Slai Cobas, Adl Cobas, Cobas Usb, Cobas Sub, Osp Faisa Cisal, Usi Cit, Clap, Yes Cobas, Cub Trasporti, Uitrasporti, Usi 1912, Flaei Cisl and Uiltec Uil, who will fold their arms to ask for the elimination of unequal treatment.
In particular, Italian trade union organizations protest against the gender pay gap, the "exploited and invisible" care work carried out by women, precarious employment and the patriarchal model, with attention to physical, psychological and economic violence against women.
The strike will therefore affect a large part of public and private services, including schools, universities, research and professional training, without even leaving firefighters and healthcare behind (with the necessary precautions to guarantee minimum services).
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read also How to obtain a refund in the event of a flight canceled due to the strike