On April 4, 2025, a nationwide strike will take place in schools and universities across Italy, marking a significant mobilization involving teachers, administrative staff, and students. This initiative, organized by the Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), aims to address various pressing issues within the educational sector, including salary conditions, contract renewals, and educational policies.
The USB has articulated a range of grievances that have led to this strike, primarily focusing on the management of public education and the urgent need for improved salaries. One of the central demands is the renewal of the national collective labor agreement (CCNL) for the period 2022-2024. The union claims that the proposed salary increases are inadequate to keep pace with inflation, which threatens to impoverish school and academic staff. In particular, the wages of administrative and technical personnel are at risk of significant loss in purchasing power.
Another critical aspect of the strike is the demand for stabilization of precarious workers. The USB is calling for the hiring of temporary staff who are currently in the first tier of the Provincial Rankings for Substitute Teachers (GPS), as well as the winners and eligible candidates from previously announced competitions. The union aims to combat the dismissal of young researchers, who often find themselves forced out of academia when their fixed-term contracts expire due to lack of funding.
The USB is also protesting the reform that allows families to directly hire support teachers, arguing that this practice could undermine the transparency and impartiality of the educational system, leading to unequal treatment among students and weakening the role of public schools.
In the university sector, specific demands include the stabilization of precarious workers, measures to ensure continuity for researchers expelled from the academic system, and increased funding for universities to uphold the right to education and bolster research efforts.
The protest also encompasses proposed changes to technical and vocational institutes, as well as new guidelines for the first cycle of education. According to the union, these reforms could introduce discriminatory criteria that would disadvantage the most vulnerable segments of the student population.
Moreover, the USB is contesting the prioritization of military spending over educational investment. The union is demanding an increase of at least 10 billion euros for the education sector, aimed at hiring more personnel, enhancing research capabilities, and improving school and university infrastructure.
The national strike on April 4 will feature joint participation from school workers, university employees, and students, with demonstrations planned in various cities across Italy. The goal is to raise public awareness and urge the government to invest more in education and protect the rights of workers in the sector.
Demonstrations are scheduled in numerous cities, including:
- Rome: 9:00 AM at MUR, 10:00 AM at MIUR;
- Turin: 9:30 AM at Piazza 18 dicembre;
- Milano: 9:30 AM at USR, 11:00 AM at the Prefecture;
- Genoa: 9:00 AM at Piazza de Ferrari;
- Spezia: 9:00 AM at Piazza Brini;
- Bari: 9:00 AM at Piazza Umberto;
- Bologna: 9:00 AM at Piazza Verdi;
- Rimini: 9:00 AM at Piazzale del Popolo;
- Imola: 9:00 AM at Prato della rocca;
- Ravenna: 7:30 AM at Piazza San Francesco;
- Pisa: 9:00 AM at Piazza dei Cavalieri;
- Rieti: 8:30 AM at Piazza Mazzini;
- Monterotondo: 9:00 AM at Piazza del Cigno;
- Bracciano: 7:30 AM at the station;
- Pomezia: 7:50 AM at Liceo P. Picasso, 3:00 PM at Piazza Indipendenza;
- Latina: 8:30 AM at Piazza del Popolo;
- Potenza: 9:00 AM at Piazza Zara;
- Brindisi: 5:30 PM at Piazza Vittoria;
- Lecce: 3:30 PM at Piazza Rudiae;
- Palermo: 10:00 AM at USR;
- Florence: 9:00 AM at Piazza D’Azeglio.
This national strike coincides with a separate strike by freight carriers, which began on March 31 and will conclude on April 4. The transport union, Trasportounito, is demanding urgent reforms to address severe issues threatening to collapse many Italian transport companies. Their goals include modifying market regulations and streamlining bureaucracy concerning road infrastructure and the highway code.
The USB's actions reflect a broader discontent with the current educational policies and highlight the urgent need for meaningful reforms to ensure a stable and equitable educational system in Italy. As the strike approaches, both educators and students are poised to make their voices heard in a unified demand for change.
