This was part of a national strike, CGIL — Italy’s biggest trade union — organized on Friday against the Italian government’s announced budget plans for 2026. That last strikers’ action was just the second general strike to take place in the last two weeks. It profoundly affected the nation’s transportation, health care facilities, and educational settlement. Hundreds of thousands of workers joined the demonstrations that stretched the length of Italy from its northern to southern borders.
The strike is at the epicenter of the opposition to the proposed budget bill that Giorgia Meloni’s national conservative government introduced. As the conservative Premier of Italy, Meloni has faced backlash for policies perceived as detrimental to workers’ rights and welfare. Maurizio Landini, the secretary-general of CGIL, winged a massive demonstration in Florence. Doing so, he fearlessly denounced the budget for the “unfair, wrong, and dangerous” proposal it was. His comment struck a chord with many workers who went on to voice their displeasure at the government’s budgetary plan.
Transportation services were largely disrupted, disrupting the most local of commutes to long-distance transportation. Health services were especially severely affected, causing many patients’ appointments to be delayed or canceled. Education equity Schools from Milan to Palermo announced partial or total closures, with many students no longer able to go to school at all.
Meloni and her deputy, Matteo Salvini, are doing nothing to temper expectations. They took to Twitter to lambast CGIL for deciding to hold the strike on a Friday. Their responses read like you might expect if they’re just looking to take the safety and security of union members and supporters for granted. All of the negative attention aside, protests gained steam as the day continued. They painted a picture of deepening anger among workers with the state of government policy.
The first general strike, organized largely by smaller trade unions known as CCOOs, had primed workers for this larger protest. The diverse nature of this recent wave of strikes showcases the growing frustration among Italian workers. They increasingly feel ignored and excluded by government plans that trample on their needs and rights.
