Complicated days lie ahead for large-scale retail trade in Sicily and consequently also for consumers. Yesterday on the island, at midnight, the strike in the road haulage sector on the island began and will last until April 18th. The Sicilian Transport Committee has announced the great mobilization, which will involve in particular the activities of the commercial ports.
The loading and unloading operations of semi-trailers from ships will therefore be blocked until Saturday. And participation in the strike has reached around 90% of companies in the sector: an important response that risks paralyzing the regional logistics sector.
The reasons behind the block and the consequences
The mobilization, called by the Sicilian Transport Committee, does not include blockades and protests in the streets, but will have tangible effects that will cause inconvenience, starting with the supermarket shelves which risk remaining empty for days.
The basis of the strike is first and foremost the increase in fuel costs, which have skyrocketed following the war in Iran, as well as the management of transport activities, aggravated by the international situation. For a sector so fundamental to the community, continuing to work in these conditions is no longer acceptable. Furthermore, transporters are protesting the increase in ferry tariffs and the management of resources relating to the European ETS tax, paid to shipowners and then to the State, asking that these funds be allocated to the Ministry of Infrastructure to support incentives for maritime transport.
The objective of the mobilization is therefore to interrupt supplies to large-scale retail trade until the national government makes a concrete commitment to protect transporters on their knees. In the absence of answers, we will move towards a national truck drivers’ strike, scheduled for 20 to 25 April.
