Major strikes planned across Italy on Friday against cost of living and military spending

Friday’s action combines workplace strikes, public demonstrations, and student protests across Italy. It matters because unions are linking household hardship with opposition to military spending, while students are returning to streets in major cities. The protests will test public order as well as daily services.

USB has called on public and private sector workers to strike, mobilise, and protest, including at a major demonstration in Rome. Cobas, Adl, Clap, and Sial have also called a general strike across public and private sectors, although their action excludes transport. Students are expected to protest in all main cities.

The immediate effects will vary by sector and city. Rail, air transport, taxis, motorway staff, and local public transport may be affected. The wider demands include inflation-linked wage rises, cheaper essentials, lower household costs and rents, reduced VAT on basic necessities, and less military spending.

The unions’ central demand is protection from the rising cost of living. They say wages should increase in line with inflation so workers can continue covering essential expenses. This matters because higher prices can make existing pay worth less, even when salaries do not change.

USB is calling for the reintroduction of the “scala mobile,” which automatically adjusted wages in line with inflation. It also wants measures to reduce the prices of essential goods, household bills, and rents. Another demand is a lower VAT rate on basic necessities, which could reduce the tax included in everyday purchases.

The unions also challenge government spending priorities. USB says too many resources are going to military spending while health care, education, and other public services lack adequate funding. The protests therefore combine immediate household demands with a broader argument about how public money should be allocated.

The mobilisation is broad in both geography and services. In Italy, strikes cover public and private workers, while students plan protests in all main cities. Transport disruption may affect railways, aviation, local public transport, taxis, and motorway staff. This makes the action relevant to commuters, travellers, and freight movement.

The dockworkers’ action is international. Organisers say workers from more than 100 ports in 17 countries and four continents have joined. Unions involved include USB in Italy, CGT in France, and organisations in Greece, Turkey, Morocco, and the Basque Country.

Italian port protests are planned in Genoa, Livorno, Trieste, Civitavecchia, Ancona, Ravenna, and Gioia Tauro. Rail workers are due to strike from 21:00 Thursday until 20:59 Friday, while air transport workers are expected to strike throughout Friday. Local effects will vary from city to city.

The strikes could disrupt several forms of travel and freight movement. Rail passengers face a strike from Thursday night through Friday evening. Air transport workers are expected to stop for the entire day Friday. Local public transport will not be affected equally everywhere, so disruption depends on the city and the services operating there.

Taxi services are also expected to be affected throughout Friday. Motorway staff will begin striking on Thursday evening, potentially affecting motorway-related services and travel. These actions could make commuting, travelling, and moving goods more difficult, although the article does not give specific cancellation numbers.

Port operations may also face action as dockworkers mobilise against arms trafficking, rearmament policies, and militarisation of ports. The Italian ports named include Genoa, Livorno, Trieste, Civitavecchia, Ancona, Ravenna, and Gioia Tauro. The scale of participation means disruption may extend beyond Italy.

A general strike is a coordinated stoppage involving workers across multiple sectors of the economy. It is designed to create broad pressure on employers or the government, rather than focusing on one workplace or profession. The wider participation can affect public services, businesses, and everyday travel at the same time.

A limited strike might involve only one factory, company, occupation, or industry, such as rail workers or dockworkers. The action described here is broader: Cobas, Adl, Clap, and Sial called a general strike across public and private sectors. Their call specifically excludes transport, showing that even a general strike can define which groups participate.

Other actions run alongside it. USB called on public and private sector workers to strike, mobilise, and protest, while separate dockworker mobilisation targets ports internationally. Rail, air, taxi, motorway, and local transport actions have their own schedules and participation.

The “scala mobile” was a mechanism previously used in Italy to adjust wages automatically in line with inflation. Its purpose was to connect pay increases to rising prices. The unions want its reintroduction because they say the cost of living is making it increasingly difficult for people to cover essential expenses.

The mechanism matters because inflation can raise the price of goods, bills, and rents faster than wages rise. Without an adjustment, the same salary may buy fewer necessities. With automatic adjustment, wages would respond to the inflation measure rather than relying only on separate negotiations or government decisions.

USB’s demand is part of a wider programme. The union also wants lower prices for essential goods, household bills, and rents, plus reduced VAT on basic necessities. The article presents wage adjustment as a way to protect living standards while prices remain a central reason for Friday’s protests.

Inflation means prices rise across goods and services. If wages do not keep pace, a person’s income buys less than before. That loss of purchasing power can make essentials, household bills, and rent harder to afford. This is why unions are demanding wage increases linked to the cost of living.

For example, a household may have the same salary but face higher prices for food, energy, and housing. Unless income rises or costs fall, less money remains for other needs. USB proposes inflation-linked wages, cheaper essentials, lower bills and rents, and reduced VAT on basic necessities as responses.

Public budgets also involve choices. Spending more on one priority can leave fewer resources available for others, although the exact balance depends on government decisions and revenues. USB says military spending is receiving too many resources while health care, education, and other public services remain inadequately funded. That disagreement is driving part of the protests.