Italo strike disrupts travel as union cites deliberate staff shortages
A strike by Italo staff is disrupting private high-speed rail travel across Italy, exposing underlying labour tensions and compounding infrastructure bottlenecks in Florence.
Union Uiltrasporti has called a strike at private high-speed rail operator Italo, disrupting services across Italy until 2am on Friday. The walkout does not affect services run by rival state-owned operator Trenitalia, leaving the state-backed network unaffected by the labour dispute.
The union is demanding that Italo "provide better and fairer working conditions." Uiltrasporti highlighted a "structural and deliberate staff shortage that leads to unreasonable pressure on workers," pointing to potential operational vulnerabilities in the privately owned network.
For European investors and transport analysts, the strike underscores the fragile labour dynamics in Italy’s liberalised high-speed rail market. Italo must balance aggressive competition against the state-backed Trenitalia with the operational reality of maintaining adequate staffing levels without sacrificing profitability.
The industrial action coincides with major engineering works at Florence's Santa Maria Novella station, compounding the disruption for the wider rail network. The station is a crucial node on the north-south high-speed corridor, and the ongoing works are scheduled to continue until 4am on Friday, July 10th.
As a result of the Florence infrastructure upgrades, trains are following alternative routes and timetables. Italo stated that some connections will stop at the secondary Florence Campo di Marte station rather than Santa Maria Novella, adding friction to travel on one of the country's most critical economic arteries.
State-owned infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana warned that passengers could face service changes even before the strike officially begins and after it concludes. Italo has uploaded a list of guaranteed services marked in green, though the company explicitly cautioned that these trains may still face significant delays.
Passengers dealing with cancelled services are typically allowed to travel on equivalent trains or claim a full refund. Italo is directing customers to a dedicated online portal and a toll-free number for real-time updates regarding both the strike and the Florence diversions.
