Italy's largest transport strike in 25 years cancelled hundreds of flights and brought trains, buses and ferries to a halt on Friday, creating frustration on the country's commuter-clogged roads. At midday, nearly 80 percent of employees had participated in the strike, according to union estimates. The country's funeral and emergency services workers were among those taking part.
"Even being buried on Friday will be difficult," La Repubblica newspaper wrote. Italian papers pointed out it was the first strike in a quarter-century to hit so many forms of transport simultaneously. Italy's main unions called the strike over what workers say is insufficient financing for the transport sector in the government's 2008 budget, which is to be approved before the end of the year.
Italians were forced to take their cars to work, creating heavy traffic on highways. The situation was particularly hectic in Milan, Italy's financial capital, where the city's three metro lines were closed.
"I did my rounds to distribute newspapers and everything was blocked. It was terrible," said Stefano, who has a news-stand in the city's centre. More than 160 flights in and out of Rome's main airport were cancelled, the airport news agency Telenews said.
Pilots, other flight crew and ground staff joined the strike and flights by Alitalia, the Italian state airline, accounted for 109 of the 162 cancellations recorded, the agency said. At Milan's Malpensa airport, 151 arrival and departure flights were cancelled, while 54 were cancelled at the city's Linate airport. Strike hours varied according to sector and city, with regulations requiring a minimum level of service available for peak hours.
The stoppage was called to protest transport sector spending under the government's 2008 budget and to demand larger commitments from the state over a financial crisis engulfing Alitalia, as well as for the national railroad company.
The Italian government holds a 49.9 percent stake in Alitalia, which lost 626 million euros (924 million dollars) last year. The airline's management is in talks with possible buyers for the carrier.
Taxis had been virtually unavailable in Rome on Wednesday and Thursday, with drivers objecting to Mayor Walter Veltroni's decision to increase the number of taxi licences. But they suspended their strike on Friday, offering some relief to commuters.