Truckers’ protests in southern Italy disrupted supplies across Apulia, Calabria and Sicily on October 16, while Bari’s mayor warned that waste collection and public transport had less than a week of operating reserves. Workers at Taranto’s ex-Ilva steelworks removed two road blockades, but their strike continued ahead of government talks on October 27.
Key takeaways
- Taranto steelworkers cleared the SS 106 and SS 7 without ending their strike.
- Calabria’s mobilization involves about 20 protest sites and several economic sectors.
- Sicilian truckers report diesel prices above €2.16 per liter.
- Bari faces potential interruptions to waste collection and public transport.
Ex-Ilva workers lift blockades but maintain strike
Direct employees and supply-chain workers at Acciaierie d’Italia’s ex-Ilva steelworks in Taranto remained on strike for a fifth day, protesting the shutdown of the hot production area and the resulting production halt.
At a morning assembly on the Appia highway, Fim Cisl, Fiom CGIL, Uilm UIL and Usb declared strike action until 11 p.m. Workers nevertheless cleared the SS 106 outside the Eni refinery and the SS 7 before the stoppage ended.
The decision followed a joint document shared on October 15 with the Apulia Region, Taranto municipality and province, and an invitation to Palazzo Chigi for October 27. Biagio Prisciano, territorial secretary of Fim Cisl Taranto-Brindisi, urged workers to organize buses for Rome and said mobilization must continue if the government rejected their demands.
Truckers’ protests spread across southern Italy
High fuel prices drove truckers’ protests in Italy’s southern regions, with road blockades in Apulia, coordinated demonstrations in Calabria and trucks stopped at Sicilian ports. Farmers and other agricultural workers joined parts of the mobilization.
Apulia: Andria blockade and Corato tractor convoy
Truckers blocked the Andria ring road near a fuel station, where Mayor Giovanna Bruno met protesters. On the SS 96, traffic toward Bari moved normally, while queues formed toward Altamura and heavy vehicles stood in a side lane.
In Corato, olive growers joined demonstrations after a convoy of tractors and trucks passed through the town center to city hall on October 15. Protesters gathered again at the city entrance the following morning.
Calabria: About 20 protest sites and €15 million in aid
Fedralog’s Calabria mobilization runs from October 16 through October 20, with about 20 protest sites active across the region. Federations from Apulia, Sicily and Basilicata joined the action.
Locations included the Falerna junction, Lamezia Terme airport area, Vibo Valentia refinery, Gioia Tauro port and points along the SS 18. Farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen joined logistics workers, adding to agricultural protests already underway for more than ten days.
Fedralog Calabria spokesperson Domenico Notaro said additional diesel spending had averaged €2,000 per vehicle since March. The federation viewed regional assistance as a temporary measure rather than a solution.
The Calabria Region allocated €15 million: €5 million for agricultural businesses and €10 million for transport.
Sicily: Port stoppages and rising diesel bills
Trucks stood at Sicilian ports and company yards, and cargo ships were not unloading. Confindustria Catania did not join the initial strike scheduled for October 16–22.
Salvatore Bella, coordinator of the strike-organizing committee, described participation as total and challenged the exclusion of Sicilian truckers from ministerial talks. Dozens of trucks also stopped near the farmers’ protest site in Gela, while agricultural vehicles paraded along part of the Gela-Catania state road.
Truckers near Gela reported diesel costing more than €2.16 per liter, an increase of €0.35 since February. They put the additional annual expense at about €8,000 for each vehicle covering 100,000 kilometers.
Bari warns essential services face disruption
Bari Mayor Vito Leccese warned that fuel and supply problems threatened essential services despite the removal of Taranto’s roadblocks. He said businesses were struggling with costs and public works projects also faced possible stoppages.
Leccese urged immediate government intervention to restore supplies and maintain services. Some municipalities in the metropolitan area had already reported that waste contractors could not guarantee regular collections.
According to the mayor, Bari’s own reserves amounted to under seven days’ worth of funding for waste collection, while public transport could only be sustained for five or six more days.
Article produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.