With the new year, the mobilization of the ORSA TPL trade union of ARST rail and tram drivers resumes more decisively than ever.
A 24-hour general strike has been called for Friday, January 9th, from the start of work to the end of work, to demand the new contractual platform proposal, rejected by ARST, "for an improvement in the basic contract conditions, which includes a regulatory review or parameter adjustment, less grueling shifts, productivity bonuses, and professional development."
ORSA accuses ARST management: "Instead of engaging with and providing answers to workers, it has signed a CIA 2025/27 agreement with other unions that neither addresses nor resolves the real problems of workers , operational personnel, and the traveling sector," complain Luigi Melis and Massimo Frau of the union secretariat.
The situation regarding wages and benefits has been "stagnant for decades, with no real productivity bonus, no regulatory review, and no recognition of professionalism . Discriminatory bonuses, selective welfare that doesn't reach all workers, and personnel management that accentuates inequalities are also in place," the secretariat continues. It adds: "Unsustainable shifts and work schedules, penalizing part-time work, the lack of clear rules on shift changes, and meal voucher management deemed unacceptable, given that Their acquisition by reducing the threshold from 10 to 9 hours represents yet another mockery compared to the more favorable treatment reserved for other administrative and managerial sectors."
The new year will thus begin with a new wave of protests, because "workers are demanding sustainable shifts, adequate compensation, fair meal vouchers, the stabilization of precarious employment, clear rules, and respect. The dignity of work is non-negotiable."
