ITALY: Public transport strike expected to bring chaos for commuters

Record ID: 338550

  • Title: ITALY: Public transport strike expected to bring chaos for commuters
  • Date: 27th January 2011
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (JANUARY 26, 2011) (REUTERS) BUSES AT ROME'S CENTRAL TERMINI STATION LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEAR BUS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CRAMMED INSIDE BUS NUN TRYING TO GET ON CROWDED BUS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) FILIPPO SCIACOVELLI, SAYING: "If they have a good reason for it, probably striking is justified but I'm not sure they have the proper motive for it." PEOPLE CRAMMI
  • Embargoed: 11th February 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy, Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4UTLCT5HXY0QNI4ZAIA82LVCS
  • Story Text: Italian bus, metro and train workers brought the country's public transport system to a halt on Wednesday (January 26) as they walked out on a 24-hour strike to call for better working conditions.
    Union members in Rome agreed to supply a couple of hours of transport to commuters, morning and evening, but people were still stranded at the main train station at Termini.
    As people tried to cram onto the few operating buses, many expressed frustration with the strike.
    "If they have a good reason for it, probably striking is justified but I'm not sure they have the proper motive for it," said Filippo Sciacovelli.
    Mario Martini, trying to reach a hospital for a doctor's appointment, sympathised with the strikers despite the inconvenience.
    "I think the workers are right because our ministers do not want to give them what they need. They are right to strike," he said.
    But not all the commuters were as relaxed about missing appointments.
    "It's really bad. I need to go to school and I need to go try out for a job but I can't get anywhere and that's it," said an angry Giancarlo Feudato.
    Workers in the public transport industry are protesting against the stringent budget cuts brought in by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government, that they say will lead to massive job losses.
    They are calling instead for investment in the industry that would bring jobs and improve services for commuters.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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