Delegates travelling to Florence for conferences—including today’s EOSC Symposium—face significant disruption as Tuscany stages a region-wide general strike. The walk-out, announced by CGIL and other unions, runs from 09:01 to 17:00 for rail staff and 08:20 to 12:20 for Autolinee Toscane bus drivers. High-speed Trenitalia and Italo services on the Bologna–Florence and Rome–Florence corridors may experience cancellations or severe delays, while most local buses in the region will operate reduced timetables. Airports and the Florence tram network are exempt. Organisers of the EOSC Symposium have issued a travel advisory urging attendees to arrive outside strike hours, travel on 13 October where possible, or route via Bologna Airport with pre-booked ground transfer. Travellers already in Italy should monitor operator websites and consider taxi or car-hire alternatives, though road congestion into Florence city centre is expected. Business-travellers should note that Italian law guarantees minimal rail services during two daily “protection” windows (06:00-09:00 and 18:00-21:00), but trains immediately before or after the strike period are often cancelled for repositioning. Companies with mobility policies that reimburse disruption costs should brief staff on acceptable expenses and document retention. The action underscores a wider pattern of sectoral strikes in Italy this month, including an EasyJet national stoppage planned for 16 October. Mobility managers with widespread itineraries should build contingency time into schedules and maintain contact with local travel partners.
Source: EOSC Association
