A little-noticed industrial action at Poste Italiane is beginning to pinch global-mobility timelines. Since 14 January, members of the SLC-CGIL and UILPoste unions have refused all overtime and “additional duties”, and the work-to-rule is set to continue until 12 February. Strike-monitor StrikeTracker flagged the action as “Major” again on 8 February, noting that weekend back-office processing and evening delivery rounds remain suspended nationwide. (striketracker.app)
Why it matters: Italian consulates and migration offices rely on Poste Italiane’s insured-mail channels to dispatch newly-issued passports, visa stickers, and biometric residence-permit (permesso di soggiorno) cards. When overtime is withdrawn, priority items are still accepted but can sit for days in regional sorting hubs—especially in Lombardy and Lazio, where parcel volumes are highest. Several relocation firms report outbound courier times ballooning from the typical 48 hours to 4–5 working days.
The dispute centres on pay for weekend shifts and a proposed reorganisation that would pool late-evening parcel rounds into larger regional depots. Management says the plan is essential to cope with e-commerce volumes, but unions argue it will hollow-out smaller towns’ post offices and force staff to commute long distances.
![Nationwide Poste Italiane Overtime Strike Threatens Passport and Permit Deliveries Through 12 February]()
For those looking to sidestep some of the postal bottlenecks, VisaHQ offers end-to-end Italian visa and residence-permit support, including document pre-checks, embassy liaison and secure courier alternatives that avoid reliance on Poste Italiane’s overtime-strapped network. Their online dashboard keeps applicants and HR teams updated in real time—see https://www.visahq.com/italy/ for service options.
For employers: factor extra lead time for any immigration step that requires physical delivery—particularly the return of original passports from Italian consulates abroad and the exchange of paper Nulla Osta for electronic work permits inside Italy. Where legally permissible, switch to express private-courier services (DHL, UPS) for sending applications to Italian prefectures or questura offices. HR teams should also alert traveling employees that renewing a resident ID by mail may not be feasible until mid-month.
Looking ahead, the strike ends just as Italy’s visa-processing platform VIS-IT shuts down 12–18 February for a separate software migration, creating a double-whammy of postal and IT delays. Mobility planners should therefore treat the first half of February as a “high-risk processing window” and cushion assignment start dates accordingly.
Why it matters: Italian consulates and migration offices rely on Poste Italiane’s insured-mail channels to dispatch newly-issued passports, visa stickers, and biometric residence-permit (permesso di soggiorno) cards. When overtime is withdrawn, priority items are still accepted but can sit for days in regional sorting hubs—especially in Lombardy and Lazio, where parcel volumes are highest. Several relocation firms report outbound courier times ballooning from the typical 48 hours to 4–5 working days.
The dispute centres on pay for weekend shifts and a proposed reorganisation that would pool late-evening parcel rounds into larger regional depots. Management says the plan is essential to cope with e-commerce volumes, but unions argue it will hollow-out smaller towns’ post offices and force staff to commute long distances.
For those looking to sidestep some of the postal bottlenecks, VisaHQ offers end-to-end Italian visa and residence-permit support, including document pre-checks, embassy liaison and secure courier alternatives that avoid reliance on Poste Italiane’s overtime-strapped network. Their online dashboard keeps applicants and HR teams updated in real time—see https://www.visahq.com/italy/ for service options.
For employers: factor extra lead time for any immigration step that requires physical delivery—particularly the return of original passports from Italian consulates abroad and the exchange of paper Nulla Osta for electronic work permits inside Italy. Where legally permissible, switch to express private-courier services (DHL, UPS) for sending applications to Italian prefectures or questura offices. HR teams should also alert traveling employees that renewing a resident ID by mail may not be feasible until mid-month.
Looking ahead, the strike ends just as Italy’s visa-processing platform VIS-IT shuts down 12–18 February for a separate software migration, creating a double-whammy of postal and IT delays. Mobility planners should therefore treat the first half of February as a “high-risk processing window” and cushion assignment start dates accordingly.
