Why are there so many ATM strikes?

Throughout 2024, Milan experienced numerous strikes in the public transportation sector, with the most significant ones occurring between November and December. The strikes affected the metro, bus, and tram services of ATM, the municipal company managing public transportation in the Lombard capital and around 50 neighboring municipalities, serving over 2.5 million residents. The reasons behind these strikes are varied and complex. The main issues include wage-related concerns, such as the renewal of collective contracts, worker safety issues, and protests against the lack of legislative actions to protect the sector. All these elements contribute to the growing disruptions in ATM services. During the national strike on Friday, November 8, which also affected Milan, the trade union Filt Cgil described the situation in the sector as “dramatic.” “The absence of adequate resources and lack of planning policies are creating a mobility model increasingly incapable of meeting citizens' needs. The now structural shortage of operational staff, leading to service cuts, worsens working conditions and causes an exponential increase in attacks on frontline workers.” Moreover, in the paper Milano, di cosa hai paura? by nss magazine, 30.8% of respondents highlighted the need to strengthen public transport to ensure greater safety, especially during nighttime hours.

But these are not the only reasons behind the increasingly frequent disruptions in the public transportation sector, both local and national. For instance, the national strike called on December 13, which again involved Milan, aimed to protest against the government’s military spending, the privatization of public services, and attacks on the right to protest, as well as the deindustrialization and touristification of Italy. For citizens, however, the result is almost always the same: interruptions to transportation services cause significant inconvenience for commuters and residents alike. It is no coincidence that strikes almost always occur on Fridays: on the one hand, this has become a common practice in Italy, but on the other, strikes held during the week would likely see lower participation rates.

Italian regulations on strikes in the public transportation sector include the presence of guaranteed service hours, during which service must still be provided to safeguard citizens’ mobility rights. For local transport, guaranteed service hours vary from city to city, with specific details for each strike usually published on the respective companies’ websites. In Milan, for example, ATM services are generally interrupted during strikes from 8:45 AM to 3 PM and then from 6 PM until the end of service—coinciding with peak hours. However, legislation allows unions to call strikes without guaranteed service hours for disputes related to contract renewals. The most active unions organizing these strikes are CGIL, CISL, and UIL: around one-third of the strikes in 2024 were initiated by one of these unions.

Meanwhile, the first strike of 2025 has already been announced: January 10 has been chosen by the Faisa Confail union for a potential strike involving employees of local public transport companies across Italy. Although it is not yet confirmed that the protest will take place, Milan’s metro, bus, and tram services managed by ATM could be at risk. The reasons behind the potential strike stem from the dissatisfactory results of the agreement on renewing contracts for transport sector workers. Despite negotiations with the government, the preliminary agreement failed to meet the expectations of many unions, which demanded substantial improvements both economically and in terms of regulations. Specifically, workers and unions criticize the agreement for not including adequate salary increases to match inflation and the cost of living, nor satisfactorily addressing issues related to workplace safety, scheduling, and staff shortages. For these reasons, unions are considering continuing strikes or other forms of protest indefinitely to achieve agreements that more effectively address the sector's problems.