Italy braces for nationwide general strike on October 30 against cost of living and rearmament

The general strike called by the Usb union will take place on Friday, October 30, involving all categories of public and private workers across Italy. The action targets the cost of living, low wages, high rents, fuel prices, and government spending on rearmament instead of social services.

More than 50 demonstrations are planned nationwide, including marches and pickets in Bologna, Trieste, Naples, Rome, Milan, and Turin. In Bologna, student groups blocked entrances to several high schools while shopkeepers protected their windows. Around 500 demonstrators gathered at Varco 4 of the port in Trieste, and hundreds of students and activists reached Piazza Mancini in Naples.

“Today is a historic day because for years they have tried to divide students, teachers, and administrative staff. Today we can change course and say that money must go to schools and not to war.”

In Rome, the first groups of young people gathered outside Termini station ahead of a march expected to draw around 20,000 people. In Milan, two processions are expected to converge at Piazzale Loreto, with concern over a possible attempt to block the Tangenziale Est ring road. In Turin, more than a thousand secondary school and university students, teachers, and administrative staff marched from Palazzo Nuovo to Piazza Palazzo di Città.

The Usb says it expects peaceful and well-attended demonstrations, with no intention of fueling clashes or tensions. The union has its own order services, but their goal is to protect march participants, not to replace police forces or control tens of thousands of people.

Guido Lutrario of the Usb confederate executive said the government has not responded to the substance of the protests, instead shifting attention to public order. He warned that public debate risks focusing exclusively on possible violence while leaving demonstrators' demands in the background.

Internationally, port workers will also down tools on October 30 against war and arms trafficking. According to the Usb, more than 100 ports across four continents will take part in the mobilization.

The union's demands include price controls, higher wages and pensions, and public spending directed toward social services rather than weapons.