General strike, Salvini orders a precept on transport but Usb confirms the mobilisation

The Unione Sindacale di Base has called a general strike for Friday, October 30, with demonstrations planned in more than fifty Italian cities. At the heart of the protest, according to the promoting union, are the cost of living and the government’s military spending:

“Against the war economy imposed by the Meloni Government” — USB, union promoting the strike

The scope of the walkout varies by sector. In the rail sector the strike has been set from 9pm on Thursday, October 29 to 8:59pm on Friday, October 30; in air transport, however, the stoppage covers the entire day on Friday.

The Transport Minister, Matteo Salvini, has ordered a precept on transport, a measure that imposes restrictions on the right to strike during certain time slots or on certain services. Usb responded by confirming the mobilisation regardless, declaring that it would take on the sanctions provided for failure to comply with the precept.

On the public security front, the Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, chaired a meeting with prefects and police chiefs to draw up a plan ahead of the marches announced in the cities involved.

Alongside the Italian union mobilisation, on the same day, an initiative of a different scale has joined in: an international mobilisation of port workers against the arms trade, with declared participation in more than 100 ports across 17 countries. Among the ports involved are the Italian ports of Genoa, Livorno, Trieste, Civitavecchia, Ancona, Ravenna and Gioia Tauro.

The picture taking shape for October 30 thus brings together three distinct levels: the national general strike called by Usb, the precept imposed by the government on transport, and a port union action that fits into a broader international calendar. At the time of publication, data on actual participation in individual cities and on the concrete disruptions recorded in rail and air transport remain unavailable.