CGIL union slams budget as Meloni mocks date chosen for strike.Italy's biggest trade union, CGIL, has called a national general strike on Friday 12 December in protest over the government's 2026 budget bill.The news was announced on Friday by Fulvio Fammoni, president of the CGIL general assembly, during an event in Florence, attended by CGIL general secretary Maurizio Landini. "We are striking against a flawed budget law and against all the measures that have piled up over the years" - Famoni said - claiming the bill "rewards the richest and not the poorest, encourages inequality, and envisions essentially zero growth." In a statement, CGIL issued a long list of reasons for the strike, including demands for the renewal of all national labour contracts; greater investments in healthcare, education, local authorities, long-term care, and housing rights; and measures to tackle job insecurity and workplace safety. Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, in a post on X, took aim at Landini and CGIL, asking sarcastically: "On which day of the week will 12 December fall?". Deputy premier Matteo Salvini struck a similar tone on X, writing: "We invite Landini, for once, to give up the long weekend and organise the strike on another day of the week". The nationwide strike will come just two weeks after another general strike, on 28 November, called by the USB and CUB union, also in protest over the budget. More details will be announced nearer the time of the strike. We update our news of public transport strikes in Italy regularly. For official information see the transport ministry website. Photo credit: Domenichini Giuliano / Shutterstock.com.

Italy's biggest trade union, CGIL, has called a national general strike on Friday 12 December in protest over the government's . The news was announced on Friday by Fulvio Fammoni, president of the CGIL general assembly, during an event in Florence, attended by CGIL general secretary Maurizio Landini. "We are striking against a flawed budget law and against all the measures that have piled up over the years" - Famoni said - claiming the bill "rewards the richest and not the poorest, encourages inequality, and envisions essentially zero growth." In , CGIL issued a long list of reasons for the strike, including demands for the renewal of all national labour contracts; greater investments in healthcare, education, local authorities, long-term care, and housing rights; and measures to tackle job insecurity and workplace safety. Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, in a post on X, took aim at Landini and CGIL, asking sarcastically: "On which day of the week will 12 December fall?". Deputy premier Matteo Salvini struck a similar tone on X, writing: "We invite Landini, for once, to give up the long weekend and organise the strike on another day of the week". The nationwide strike will come just two weeks after another , called by the USB and CUB union, also in protest over the budget. More details will be announced nearer the time of the strike. We update our news of public transport strikes in Italy regularly. For official information see the . Photo credit: Domenichini Giuliano / Shutterstock.com.