Salvini orders deferral of rail strike on 19-20 May to prevent disruption to Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Italy's deputy premier and transport minister Matteo Salvini issued an injunction on Thursday night to halt a planned strike affecting the country's rail network this weekend.

The 23-hour nationwide strike, called by trade unions on behlf of employees of Trenitalia, Italo and Trenord, had been scheduled from 03.00 on Sunday 19 May until 02.00 that night.

In a statement, the transport ministry said the order was made in light of "the important weekend for Formula 1 fans, as it coincides with the 'Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix' sporting event at the Autodromo di Imola."

Il diritto allo sciopero è sacrosanto, come sono sacrosanti i diritti di chi ha necessità di utilizzare i mezzi pubblici.
Domenica c'è il Gran Premio di Formula 1 di Imola, che per l'Emilia-Romagna e l’Italia intera rappresenta uno straordinario moltiplicatore di lavoro e…

— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) May 17, 2024

Noting that more than 200,000 people are expected at the event, the ministry said the strike "would cause significant repercussions and problems for public order and safety."

Salvini has used the same mechanism to curtail or postpone strikes several times over the past year, a tactic fiercely contested by Italy's trade unions.

For official information about public transport strikes in Italy see the transport ministry website.