Italy air strike in balance

Alitalia cancelled flights before the deal was reached with unions

ROME, Italy -- The extent of a planned strike by air traffic controllers on Wednesday is uncertain after a last-minute deal was struck with most unions involved in the dispute.

Unions representing 72 percent of air traffic controllers reached agreement on Tuesday evening and were considering calling off their involvement in the action.

But two unions representing about 13 percent of the workforce, and who did not take part in the talks, are expected to press on with the strike, union officials and news reports said.

National carrier Alitalia said they have already cancelled 106 flights planned for Wednesday and rescheduled 200 others and the agreement was reached too late for those flights to be brought back into the timetable.

The four-hour strike, in whatever form it eventually takes, is due to begin at noon local time (1000 GMT) on Wednesday.

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Alitalia has cancelled 64 domestic routes and 42 international, affecting about 13,000 passengers.

A similar strike last Wednesday affected almost 10,000 travellers when Alitalia was forced to cancel 50 of its 800 daily connections.

The national air traffic controllers' association, ENAV, says the dispute is over contract disputes.

In addition to the air traffic controllers' action, pilots with Alitalia have said they will not fly for four hours on Friday to protest against pay and conditions.

All air transport workers had threatened to strike for four hours on July 12 and July 19.

Italy's air strikes are just a part of wider industrial action affecting the transport system.

Last Friday, public transport workers in cities throughout Italy went on strike for eight hours as part of a contract dispute, and are due to follow up with a second, four-hour strike on July 11.

Rail workers will walk out for four hours on July 5 as part of protests against government plans to alter workers' rights.

As well as taking part in the July 5 work stoppage, unions representing ferry and other maritime workers plan to strike for half a day on July 8, against government proposals to make it easier to hire and fire workers.