A new public transport strike is looming, particularly affecting commuters, tourists and passengers in Rome. The trade unions Usb Lavoro Privato and Orsa have in fact called a 24-hour stoppage today for Atac, which will involve buses, trams, trolleybuses, subways and the Termini-Centocelle tramway. During the strike, service will be limited to certain time slots only: from the start of service until 8:29 a.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 7:59 p.m., as communicated by Atac. The union representatives expressed their frustration regarding the “unsustainable workloads” and called for greater safety for staff, adequate salary policies and a healthier working environment.

This event is just a preview of what will happen on November 8th. On that date, the unions Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Faisa Cisal and Ugl Fna have planned a 24-hour national strike in local public transport without guaranteed bands. The goal is to request the renewal of the collective agreement that expired ten months ago. The same organizations have called a press conference for October 29th to explain the reasons for the mobilization of November 8th and to express concerns about the financial maneuver.

Eugenio Stanziale, national secretary of Filt Cgil, expressed concern over the lack of an increase in the national fund for local public transport in the measures envisaged by the budget. He highlighted that not adequately financing the fund during such a critical period of contract renewal represents a clear failure by the government to ensure citizens a quality public service.

Trade associations such as Agens, Anav and Asstra also consider the sum of 120 million euros envisaged in the budget for the year 2025 alone to be insufficient. These organizations argue that the allocation of the National Transport Fund has suffered a real contraction of about 800 million per year due to the high inflation of recent years and the decrease in revenues from traffic. Therefore, they ask that during the parliamentary approval, the allocation for local public transport be significantly increased and stabilized.

The workers’ protest therefore reflects a critical situation in the Roman public transport sector, with clear demands for improved working conditions and the urgent need for adequate resources to ensure efficient services to citizens. The tense climate represents not only a protest against the heavy burdens on employees but also a call to ensure that the necessary funds are made available to address the current challenges of the public transport sector.