What were the dates and scope of transport strikes in Italy in January 2026?

1. The chronology: when the walkouts fell in January

The wave began immediately after the exemption period that protects air travel until 7 January, with local public transport strikes starting on 8 January and a cluster of actions running through the month — La Repubblica and aggregated reporting list eleven distinct strike dates between 8 and 29 January covering local buses/trams, regional rail, national rail, taxis and airport ground handling ^{[5] [2] [3]}. The calendar featured a high‑profile concentration of action on 9 January (airports and Sardinia local transport), the 9–10 January overnight national rail strike, and further Trenord‑specific stoppages on 9–10 January and 12–13 January ^{[5] [7] [4]}.

2. Scope by mode: rail, local transit, airports and taxis

Rail was hit both nationally and regionally — a national FS Group/Trenitalia/Trenord strike ran from 21:00 on Friday 9 January to 21:00 on Saturday 10 January and was billed to affect all regions, while Trenord reported additional union calls from 9 January into 10 January and from 3:00 on 12 January to 2:00 on 13 January that could disrupt Lombardy regional, suburban, airport and long‑distance services ^{[4] [7] [8]}. Local public transport stoppages began on 8 January in places including Abruzzo, Bolzano and Naples and continued as part of the eleven‑day sequence ^{[9] [3]}. Aviation faced coordinated actions on 9 January: cabin crew at easyJet and Vueling planned stoppages and Assohandlers/ground handling staff announced a four‑hour nationwide walkout (1:00–5:00 p.m.), raising the prospect of flight cancellations and baggage/turnaround delays ^{[5] [6] [10]}. Taxis and goods‑transport unions also filed 24‑hour actions on dates including 13 and 14 January according to reporting, widening the economic impact beyond passenger mobility ^{[1] [3]}.

3. Intensity and guaranteed services: what travelers could expect

Several outlets stressed that strikes ranged from four‑hour local stoppages to 24‑hour national walkouts and that minimum guaranteed services would apply during peak windows for trains (typically 06:00–09:00 and 18:00–21:00 on weekdays) though cancellations and rescheduling were expected outside those bands ^{[1] [8] [11]}. Travel advisories and risk briefs warned business travellers to build in contingencies and expect cascading disruption when airport and rail actions overlapped, particularly around 9 January ^{[2] [10]}.

4. Causes, actors and possible agendas behind the timetable

Reporting ties the protest wave to union opposition to cost‑of‑living clauses in the 2026 budget and broader labor grievances over pay, safety and working conditions — motives highlighted by national unions and local union federations across different companies and regions ^{[2] [1]}. Media outlets and travel briefings also flagged practical incentives for unions to concentrate early‑January action when exemption periods lapse and when overlapping transport modes can magnify pressure on employers and public authorities ^{[5] [6]}.

5. Limits of reporting and how to read the calendar

Coverage consistently notes that strike plans were a mix of local and national calls that could be modified or cancelled at short notice and that official “guaranteed” services vary by operator and region, so exact passenger impact depended on operator lists of guaranteed trains and last‑minute developments ^{[7] [8] [11]}. Sources collated strike dates (eleven days between 8–29 January) and highlighted specific, high‑impact actions (9 January aviation and 9–10 January national rail), but granular hourly effects for every region or operator require consulting the operator notices and local union communiqués cited above ^{[2] [4] [7]}.