Italy’s national strike called by main union disrupts transport and school services

A national strike called by Italy’s largest trade union in protest against the government’s budget plans has widely disrupted transportation, health and school services across the country

ROME — A national strike called on Friday by Italy’s largest trade union in protest against the government’s budget plans widely disrupted transportation, health and school services across the country.

The protest, which targets the 2026 budget bill proposed by the conservative government of Premier Giorgia Meloni, comes just two weeks after another general strike organized by smaller trade unions, with the same motivations.

The strike mainly hit railway transportation, with cancellations and delays registered for both long-distance and regional trains. Public schools across the country canceled classes, forcing students to stay home because of a lack of local public transportation in many cities.

The CGIL union listed the reasons for the strike in a statement, including demands for grea