Italy’s island supply chains felt the strain on 24–25 October after maritime unions Federmar-Cisal, UGL Mare, USB and Or.S.A. Trasporti staged a 24-hour strike that halted many Tirrenia CIN and Moby sailings. The stoppage began at 15:30 on 24 October and ended exactly 24 hours later, affecting roll-on/roll-off cargo and passenger routes from Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia and Naples to Sardinia and Sicily.
Although the companies maintained the legally mandated "servizi minimi" (minimum essential services), dozens of departures were cancelled or delayed, stranding freight trucks loaded with perishable goods and forcing travellers to rebook. Sardinia’s Confindustria chapter warned that even a one-day interruption can cost local exporters up to €8 million in missed deliveries.
For relocation managers, the strike highlighted the fragility of inter-island mobility. Household‐goods shipments and corporate vehicles bound for Cagliari, Olbia or Palermo faced backlogs that may ripple into early November. Employers with staff on rotational assignments in the energy and tourism sectors should anticipate knock-on accommodation costs and consider alternative routing via air cargo, which remained largely unaffected.
Union leaders say the protest was triggered by stalled contract talks and concerns over outsourcing. They demand a government-brokered table addressing pay scales and job security before the busy Christmas season. If talks fail, unions have threatened a 48-hour strike in December that could coincide with peak holiday travel.
The Ministry of Transport has not yet intervened directly, but insiders say Deputy-Minister Edoardo Rixi is examining fast-track arbitration to avoid further disruption—especially with Sardinia’s new agri-food export push relying on predictable ferry timetables.
Although the companies maintained the legally mandated "servizi minimi" (minimum essential services), dozens of departures were cancelled or delayed, stranding freight trucks loaded with perishable goods and forcing travellers to rebook. Sardinia’s Confindustria chapter warned that even a one-day interruption can cost local exporters up to €8 million in missed deliveries.
For relocation managers, the strike highlighted the fragility of inter-island mobility. Household‐goods shipments and corporate vehicles bound for Cagliari, Olbia or Palermo faced backlogs that may ripple into early November. Employers with staff on rotational assignments in the energy and tourism sectors should anticipate knock-on accommodation costs and consider alternative routing via air cargo, which remained largely unaffected.
Union leaders say the protest was triggered by stalled contract talks and concerns over outsourcing. They demand a government-brokered table addressing pay scales and job security before the busy Christmas season. If talks fail, unions have threatened a 48-hour strike in December that could coincide with peak holiday travel.
The Ministry of Transport has not yet intervened directly, but insiders say Deputy-Minister Edoardo Rixi is examining fast-track arbitration to avoid further disruption—especially with Sardinia’s new agri-food export push relying on predictable ferry timetables.
