Travelers across Italy may face disruptions today, Tuesday, November 5, 2024, due to an eight-hour rail strike called by unions Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl Ferrovieri, Fast Confsal, and Orsa Trasporti. The strike was organized in response to a violent incident yesterday in Rivarolo, where a train conductor was stabbed by two passengers during a routine ticket inspection on a regional train.
The altercation escalated when the two passengers, who were without tickets, reportedly became aggressive, spitting, slapping, and kicking the 44-year-old conductor before one delivered two serious stab wounds. The injured conductor was taken to the hospital in critical condition but was discharged later with a 14-day recovery prognosis. Police swiftly responded, securing the area and apprehending the suspects—a 21-year-old Egyptian barber, Fares Kamel Salem Alshahhat, and a 16-year-old Italian-born girl of foreign descent—based on eyewitness accounts. The young man was arrested, while the girl was reported to authorities.
Union representatives have called for increased security and protections for train staff. The strike affects Trenitalia, Trenitalia Tper, Fs Security, Italo Ntv, and Trenord employees, and will last from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
