SCIOPERI ( The Italian Strikes)

It's interesting, the same things that can drive me up a wall here are the same things that I find humor in. As beautiful a country is Italy, as good as the food, as wonderful is the art, is as dysfunctional that it runs.

We are all familiar with strikes. The teachers strikes that delay school openings for weeks, transportation strikes like the one that basically shut down the tri-state area in and around  NY during X-mas 2005, Pilots strikes and SAG strikes. In the US these usually make big news because they are about contract disputes and lag on before some sort of resolution. It's different here in Italy.

Now I'm no expert on the Italian strike. In fact I don't know why they do it and why it's so frequent across the board of services but it is a whole different animal and a nutty one at that. For instance there could be a strike on a Thursday of odd numbered, yellow colored buses between the hours of 10:46 am- 3:17pm. It's THAT random. Like I said, I don't know the whys, there is probably some justification,what I do know is for as much as I travel, I need to be on the up and up.

There are a bunch of websites dedicated to the Italian strike schedule. The 2 that I use are:

http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp

http://www.commissionegaranziasciopero.it/

I was on the phone this morning with my friend Deirdre ( my next door neighbor for 6 years in Hoboken) she is in town with her hubby and 10 yr. old. I had made previous lunch plans so was giving her some options for sightseeing and meeting up later. She mentioned her son really had interest in the leaning tower of Pisa and that they might go tomorrow. I suggested she go today and then remembered there is a strike ( second one in 2 weeks).

I said, " Oh, wait, you can't go today, there's a strike". I said it so casually and didn't realize the impact on someone not familiar with the Italian striking culture until I heard the concern in her voice asking if it will be over by Tuesday when they leave for Venice. I laughed and said, " Oh, don't worry, it'll be over by the afternoon. Her response," WHAT", Are you serious.?" Yes I am!

I told her it happens all the time. I told her of the time I was in Siena 5 years ago. I had been visiting Florence for 3 days as a stop on a 3 week February/March trip to Provence and Italy. I had never been to Siena so decided to take the SITA bus ( bus is a better bet in my opinion) to Siena for the day and had bought a RT ticket.When I was ready to leave in the late afternoon I found my way back to the piazza from where the buses departed. 

I got to the square and wondered which bus to take, I asked a driver in my best Italian which wasn't that good (still isn't). The driver told me there are no buses to Florence they will go on strike. On strike? Yes, At 5:15 in 15 minutes we go on strike. 15 minutes, why not 10? That was lost in translation on him. When I asked why? Why there was a strike it was probably one question too many because he looked at me as if I was the one who was pazzo! He told me to take the train, with no choice I ask for directions to the train station and how long by foot. Dieci minuti.

Dieci minuti my ass. If your an Olympic sprinter maybe but when you're 5'2" with the stride of a beagle it took 35 minutes. Around the town up the hills, past the entrance walls of the old city where the she-wolves guard. Around the bend, walkin, walkin. I'm exhausted. Finally at the train station. I ask for a ticket, there is no direct train. Out of curiosity I ask about the bus strike. No strike? But the driver said... Did they settle already? In the last 1/2 hour? Talk about good negotiators. I remember thinking they could have used a few of them in New York Christmas week.

It was after that that I decided whenever in Italy and especially after moving here I would be in the know about any transportation strikes. But the sites are not always reliable and these strikes can pop up without a moments notice. 

In fact almost 2 weeks ago on a Sunday there was apparently a train strike that ran from 11:00 am- 4pm. I had not checked like I usually do, but I lucked out. I was coming back from Crema via Milan, my train left Milan at 10:45 so I was not affected, but a ton of people were.When I arrived back at Firenze SMN there was a taxi line longer than I had ever seen in 3 years. The foursome in front of me on the taxi line was begging a cabbie to take them to La Spezia, didn't care how much it cost, and I thought it weird they just didn't take the train. It made sense after I read a blog posting about the strike later that day. 

To better get a grip on just how widespread and frequent these strikes are I have cut and pasted the strike schedule for today July 8, 2011. It's in Italian , by region, but I will tell you that it ranges from specific banks and post offices, to Italia Telecom, to buses, train, airports and airlines. It's probably going to make this post go on FOREVER . Remember these are the strikes for just TODAY

08-07-2011	Ministero della Giustizia - Uffici Giudiziari	Nazionale	Rdb Pi-Usb
08-07-2011	Ministero della Giustizia - Circondario del Tribunale di Taranto e sede distaccata di Taranto Corte di Appello di Lecce	TARANTO (TA)	Camera Penale di Taranto	Indicazione immediata - Revoca
08-07-2011	Telecom Italia - Lazio (telefonia fissa)	Regione LAZIO	Filatel
08-07-2011	Telecom Italia - Marche	Regione MARCHE	Snater
08-07-2011	Telecom Italia - Fraud Operation, 187, 191, 119 e numeri verdi - Escluso Marche, 119 Toscana e Sicilia, 187 E.Romagna	Nazionale	Snater (adeguamento con nota del 15/6 per la Regione Lazio)	Indicazione immediata
08-07-2011	Telecom Italia - Regional Transport e Switching sede di Bologna	BOLOGNA (BO)	Rsu
08-07-2011	Telecom Italia - Reparti Aou e Rjm	Regione ABRUZZO	Slc-Cgil, Fistel-Cisl, Uilcom, Rsu
08-07-2011	Meridiana Maintenance Spa	OLBIA (SS)	Cobas-Lavoro Privato
08-07-2011	Ministero della Giustizia	LAGONEGRO (PZ)	Consiglio dell'Ordine degli Avvocati di Lagonegro	Indicazione immediata
08-07-2011	Banca Monte Paschi di Siena - Personale delle aree professionali e dei quadri direttivi	Nazionale	Unità sindacale Falcri-Silcea, Confsal
08-07-2011	CPTV - Reparto SuperTV-Messa in Onda	Nazionale	Rsu di Via Verdi Centro di produzione di Torino c/o RAI	Indicazione immediata - Revoca
08-07-2011	Aziende del Comparto - Medici di base	Regione FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA	Fimmg, Smi, Snami, Intesa Sindacale	Indicazione immediata - Revoca
08-07-2011	Telecom Italia - Personale del 119 di Telecom Italia	Regione TOSCANA	Snater
08-07-2011	Poste Italiane S.p.A.	Regione ABRUZZO	Slc-Cgil, Fail-Cisal
08-07-2011	Poste Italiane S.p.A. - Personale Mercato Privati della filiare di Trento	TRENTO (TN)	Slc-Cgil
08-07-2011	Poste Italiane S.p.A. - Settere recapito	Nazionale	Cobas Lavoro privato, Cobas Pt-Cub (Adeguamento)	Indicazione immediata
08-07-2011	Poste Italiane S.p.A. - Settore recapito	Nazionale	Si Cobas (adeguamento)	Indicazione immediata
08-07-2011	Comparto Pubblico Impiego - (Escluso comparto Scuola e Afam con nota del 24/6)	Nazionale	Usb-Pi	Indicazione immediata - Revoca
08-07-2011	Ditta Alba Paciello - Cantiere di Sessa Aurunca	SESSA AURUNCA (CE)	Fp-Cgil
08-07-2011	Vigilpol S.r.l.	Regione SICILIA	Uiltucs-Uil	Revoca
08-07-2011	Pentalfaservice - Lavoratori appalti pulizia Base Militare di Decimomannu	DECIMOMANNU (CA)	Filcams-Cgil, Fisascat-Cisl, Uiltrasporti-Uil
08-07-2011	Pentalfaservice - Lavoratori appalti pulizia Base Militare di Elmas	ELMAS (CA)	Filcams-Cgil
08-07-2011	Casa di cura Villa Cinzia	NAPOLI (NA)	Fp-Cgil
08-07-2011	Centro FKT	NAPOLI (NA)	Fp-Cgil
08-07-2011	Telecom Italia - Dipendenti operanti in ambito del servizio 119	Regione SICILIA	Snater	Revoca
08-07-2011	Telecom Italia - Dipendenti operanti in ambito del servizio 119	Regione SICILIA	Snater
08-07-2011	Air Vallée Spa - Personale Navigante Piloti e Assistenti di Volo	Nazionale	Filt-Cgil (adeguamento)	Indicazione immediata
08-07-2011	Alitalia Cai - Reparto Ruote della Divisione Manutenzione di Fiumicino	FIUMICINO (RM)	Cub Trasporti
08-07-2011	Fenice Srl - National Airport Services Srl - Scalo di Fiumicino	FIUMICINO (RM)	Filt-Cgil
08-07-2011	Gruppo Alitalia Cai/AirOne - Personale Navigante di Condotta	Nazionale	Ipa (adeguamento in data 23/6)	Indicazione immediata - Revoca
08-07-2011	Gruppo Alitalia Cai/AirOne - Piloti gruppo Alitalia Cai, escluso i voli da e per l'aeroporto di Venezia	Nazionale	Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl-Trasporti (adeguamento al p13d)	Indicazione immediata - Revoca
08-07-2011	Meridiana Fly - Personale Navigante di Cabina	Nazionale	Filt-Cgil, Anpav	Indicazione immediata - Revoca
08-07-2011	Trenitalia - Ferservizi - Settore Uffici	Regione TOSCANA	Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uilt	Revoca
08-07-2011	Trenitalia - Divisione passeggeri regionale - Direzione regionale Toscana	Regione TOSCANA	Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uilt	Indicazione immediata - Revoca
08-07-2011	Trenitalia - Divisione passeggeri regionale - Direzione regionale Toscana	Regione TOSCANA	Ugl-Af Trasporti
08-07-2011	Trenitalia - Divisione passeggeri regionale - Direzione regionale Toscana	Regione TOSCANA	Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uilt
08-07-2011	Trotta Bus Service	ROMA (RM)	Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl Trasporti