Why Italian rail strikes start at 21:00: notice, duration and spacing

Notice

• Strikes in essential public services must be announced at least 10 days ahead (Law 146/1990, article 2). For air transport the sector rules set 12 days.
• Transport companies must tell passengers how services will run at least five days before the strike (same article). That is when guaranteed trains and flights are published.
• The notice rule does not apply to strikes in defence of the constitutional order or in protest at serious events harming workers' safety. These are rare.

Duration

• Rail: a strike may last at most 24 hours, and 24-hour strikes must start at 21:00. That is why a rail strike "on Friday" usually begins on Thursday evening. The first strike in a dispute may last at most eight hours, from 09:01 to 17:59 or from 21:01 to 05:59.
• Local transport: the first strike in a dispute may not exceed four hours; later ones may last a full working day.
• Air: the first strike may last at most four hours; later ones at most a full calendar day.

Spacing between strikes

• Local transport: at least 20 days between two strikes affecting the same area, whoever calls them.
• Air: at least 15 clear days between strikes affecting the same service and area; 30 for air traffic control.

See also the strike-free periods and how strikes work in Italy.

Sources: Law 146/1990; rail agreement of 1999, points 3.3.1 and 3.3.2; local transport rules of 2018, articles 11 and 12; air transport rules 14/387, articles 4, 7, 16 and 17 (published by ENAC). Read on 10 October 2026.