Protests

Strikes: two ‘Black Fridays’ on the horizon in less than a month

On 30 October, a general strike organised by USB and Cobas; on 20 November, the strike called by the CGIL

by Rome Editorial Staff

26 October 2026

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Il 30 ottobre sciopero generale proclamato dall’Usb “contro i prezzi in continua crescita, a partire da quello dei carburanti che stanno mettendo in ginocchio la popolazione”. ANSA

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

With the issue of the lorrie drivers’ protest, and with the situation set to return to normal, at least two more days of disruption and difficulties are on the horizon for transport – and not just for the public – in less than a month. Two general strikes – both taking place on a Friday and neither of them involving all trade unions – in what is proving to be a particularly turbulent autumn in terms of protests and street demonstrations.

Friday 30 October

The first will take place next Friday, 30 October, with a series of events, starting with the 24-hour general strike (with essential services maintained) called by the USB ‘against ever-rising prices, starting with fuel prices, which are bringing the population to its knees’, as stated by the grassroots trade union in a press release.

The USB plans to organise a demonstration in Rome, in Piazza dei Cinquecento, in the morning.

At the same time, also scheduled for Friday 30th, Cobas have called a general strike alongside Adl, Clap and Sial, covering both the public and private sectors, though in their case with the exception of transport. Once again, this is ‘against the high cost of living, which makes it impossible to meet the costs of essential goods’, but also against war ‘and the diversion of budgetary resources towards armaments’. On the same day, demonstrations are planned in Italy’s major cities by students, housing rights groups, social centres and lorry drivers, which could have an impact on public order.

Also on Friday, another protest – this time lasting four hours – was called by Uiltrasporti on behalf of Enav and Techno SKY staff across the country: “The industrial action stems from the lack of responses to numerous outstanding disputes and the absence of progress in negotiations with the company,” the union stated in a press release.

Friday 20 November

Three weeks later, again on a Friday, 20 November, another general strike was called, this time by the CGIL: ‘Enough talk – it’s time for change; work must once again become a right,’ said Secretary Maurizio Landini as he announced the industrial action. The high cost of living, together with “misguided economic and budgetary policies, starting with the decision to increase defence spending”, are at the heart of the protest called by the CGIL to last the whole day in both the public and private sectors.

“No one will stop us; we will press ahead with determination and solidarity,” added the secretary at the “La Via Maestra” rally in Rome on 17 October.

A protest which, for the time being, has not attracted the support of other trade union organisations; indeed, the CISL, through its secretary Daniela Fumarola, has explicitly distanced itself from it: ‘We respect the decision,’ she said, ‘but we do not agree with it,’ for three reasons: it rejects a budget bill for which no text has yet been produced; it challenges defence spending, whilst other countries are arming themselves; and ‘it opts for the most extreme form of conflict against companies not involved in the budget negotiations, even though we are drafting the rules on representation together with them’.

At the same time, in fact, the CGIL, CISL and UIL trade unions and the main employers’ organisations have been conducting negotiations for months to define the criteria for measuring representation and the framework for collective bargaining.