Multiple Strikes Disrupt Italian Aviation as EasyJet Crew Walk Out for 24 Hours
Italy's air transport sector was hit by multiple strikes on Friday, October 16. Pilots and cabin crew of easyJet in Italy staged a 24-hour nationwide walkout, while ground staff at Pisa and Florence airports in Tuscany and security staff at Venice Marco Polo Airport also stopped work. According to multiple media reports, around 200 easyJet flights between Britain and Italian cities including Rome and Milan were cancelled, and ITA Airways cancelled 13 direct flights between London and Italy.
The strike was called by the USB Lavoro Privato union over a contract renewal signed on September 15. USB says the results of an internal staff consultation on the deal were published late and that its request to observe the vote was refused. The action was originally scheduled for October 15 and later moved to October 16.
Under rules set by Italy's civil aviation authority ENAC, flights departing between 07:00 and 10:00 and between 18:00 and 21:00 are protected and must operate during strikes, along with five designated island and intercontinental routes. Flights at other times faced cancellation. easyJet services at Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Linate, Naples, Bologna, Catania, Palermo and Bari were among those affected.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：一架易捷航空空客客机停靠在机场登机口。图片来源：Fatih Renkligil，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。Photo: An easyJet Airbus aircraft at an airport gate. Image: Fatih Renkligil, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
