Italian and Slovenian unions denounce Schengen-border suspension, warn of damage to cross-border workers

At their traditional May-Day eve gathering at the Rabuiese/Škofije crossing, the Inter-Regional Trade-Union Council of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG) and its Slovenian counterparts issued a joint statement condemning Rome’s decision to maintain temporary Schengen border controls. “The suspension is purely propagandistic, unnecessary and harmful to the 15,000 frontier workers who cross daily,” said council president Roberto Treu. He stressed that passport checks add up to 40 minutes to each commute, eroding productivity for manufacturing plants in Gorizia, Trieste and Koper that rely on seamless labour mobility.



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Italy re-introduced controls on the Slovenian frontier in October 2023 following Hamas’ attack on Israel, citing terrorism risks. Renewals every six months have since become routine, despite Eurostat data showing no uptick in irregular entries on this route. Logistics firms complain that idling trucks cost €80 per hour and undermine the Brenner Green Corridor pilot aimed at shifting freight from road to rail. The unions are calling for a bilateral task-force to design a ‘fast-track’ pass for registered frontier workers and to restore recognition of professional qualifications, which has become patchy since checks resumed. They also urge both governments to align labour-inspection protocols so that posted-worker documentation can be verified electronically rather than by road-side spot checks that cause further delays. For corporate mobility programmes the message is clear: staff transfers between Italian and Slovenian plants should factor in longer travel times, and HR should assist employees in obtaining proof of social-security coverage (A1 forms) in anticipation of stepped-up inspections. Companies planning summer internships for Slovenian students at Italian sites may need to provide group transport to mitigate unpredictability at the border. Politically, the statement increases pressure on Rome ahead of the 30 April Interior-Ministry review of the controls. Failure to ease the measures could see unions join regional businesses in filing complaints to the European Commission for violation of free-movement principles under Articles 26 and 45 TFEU.