Italy faces a new wave of industrial action that threatens both commuter and international travel. On 4 and 5 May, catering staff on Trenitalia’s high-speed services, shunting crews at Mercitalia in Milan and maintenance engineers at Rete Ferroviaria Italiana in Florence are staging staggered stoppages of up to eight hours. While the trains themselves will run, passengers can expect reduced on-board services, delays in freight dispatch and possible signalling slow-downs. The bigger headache looms next week. Unions representing ENAV air-traffic controllers, airport ground-handlers and easyJet cabin crew have called coordinated strikes on Monday 11 May. Italian media have dubbed it a “black day” for aviation, with overlapping actions likely to disrupt Rome-Fiumicino, Milan-Malpensa, Naples and Palermo among others. EasyJet alone operates more than 180 departures that day. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has published minimum-service guarantees, but business travellers should brace for cancellations and missed connections. Airlines will have 72 hours to re-file amended schedules; many are already offering free date changes. Companies operating just-in-time supply chains are being advised to shift critical freight moves to the days before the strikes or divert cargo via neighbouring countries. Mobility managers should monitor carrier bulletins and pre-book airport transfers with flexible cancellation terms.
Source: Passport News
