Alitalia Workers Block Highway To Rome Airport To Protest Future Layoffs

Hundreds of Alitalia workers on Friday blocked the highway to Rome's Fiumicino airport to protest against future layoffs at the failed Italian flag-carrier, which is set to close next month

ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) Hundreds of Alitalia workers on Friday blocked the highway to Rome's Fiumicino airport to protest against future layoffs at the failed Italian flag-carrier, which is set to close next month.

A sit-in outside the entrance to the Rome-Fiumicino highway brought traffic to a halt. Clashes broke out after police in riot gear moved in to clear the road. One lane was eventually freed.

Italian trade unions representing transport workers called for a 24-hour walkout to put pressure on the government to negotiate a longer period of unemployment benefits for thousands of soon-to-be-jobless people.

Alitalia's slimmed-down successor ITA plans to keep only a quarter of workers after the bankrupt air carrier leaves the market on October 14.

The European Transport Workers' Federation condemned the Italian government for punishing employees for the crisis in the aviation industry and "wrong business choices," saying it stood by the striking Alitalia workers.