“I do not accept a 24-hour public transport stoppage because it would be chaos,” said Salvini.
“If [the unions] use common sense I will not intervene, but if they plan to bring the whole of Italy to a halt for 24 hours, I will do everything the law allows me to do to prevent it from happening,” he added.
Earlier the transport ministry issued a statement saying a letter had gone out inviting the trade unions that have called the strike to desist.
In the event of a negative response the union leaders will be summoned to the ministry for discussions, the statement added.
Salvini’s remarks are the latest episode in an ongoing row with unions over strikes in the transport sector.
Last week he issued an injunction limiting a one-day strike called by trade union confederations UIL and CGIL in protest against the government’s 2024 budget bill to four hours.
The injunction came after the nation’s strike watchdog said the stoppage did not meet the requirements for a general strike and should be rescheduled.
The unions and opposition parties accused the government of attacking the right to strike and the watchdog of being compliant to the executive’s demands.
ANSA
