This comes after last-minute talks with unions CGIL and UIL resulted in a stalemate, a statement from the transport ministry said on Tuesday.
“The orientation of the deputy prime minister and minister Matteo Salvini is to allow the strike from 9am to 12pm on Friday [November] 17 for the entire transport sector, with the exception of the air sector over which the unions had already confirmed a reconsideration,” read the statement.
“Salvini says he is ready to sign the injunctions,” it added.
Earlier UIL, one of the two trade union confederations that have called the strike in protest over the 2024 budget bill, confirmed the stoppage after the meeting, called by Salvini, failed to lead to progress in the dispute.
“It was a short meeting. The minister did not make any kind of opening, we confirmed our position and that we will go ahead,” said UIL organising Secretary Emanuele Ronzon.
Salvini said that injunctions would be issued for the transport sector, he added.
“We confirm the strike,” he said.
As a result, CGIL trade union general secretary Maurizio Landini said Wednesday he and UIL general secretary Pierpaolo Bombardieri had decided to reduce the transport to just four hours out of a sense of responsibility to workers who might face penalties for arriving at work late.
For the transport sector, Landini said, the strike on Friday is reduced from eight to four hours, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as a consequence of Transport Minister Matteo Salvini’s injunctions against the stoppage.
“There is another reason to confirm the mobilisation and strikes,” Landini said, referring to the deputy PM’s injunctions.
“At the same time, since we are responsible people and we take into account the injunctions, we take note of this and the strike in the transport sector will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.,” he said, so that “we can protect the workers, otherwise exposed to economic and criminal sanctions”.
ANSA
