Holidaymakers face travel chaos

Alitalia cancelled flights before the deal was reached with unions

ROME, Italy -- Tens of thousands of Europeans are set to face travel chaos after Italy's national carrier Alitalia cancelled more than 150 flights ahead of a scheduled strike.

Eighty-one of the flights cancelled in anticipation of the four-hour walkout by air transport workers on Friday are domestic and 70 international, the airline said. A further 136 flights have been rescheduled.

More than 27,000 passengers are expected to be affected by the disruptions which come as the summer holiday season gets fully under way.

The nationwide strike is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT) the CGIL union, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

In Rome, air traffic controllers locked in a dispute with bosses over pay and conditions are also set to walk off their job during the same hours.

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The air transport workers are protesting government plans to change Italy's labour laws that they say will enable businesses to fire new employees more easily.

In a similar walkout four weeks ago, Alitalia was forced to go ahead with flight cancelations even though a last-minute deal was struck with unions as the agreement came too late for the flights to be brought back into the timetable. (Full story)

Millions of Italians took to the streets in April after the CGIL and two other unions -- the CISL and UIL -- staged the country's biggest general strike in 20 years to protest against the planned labour reforms. (Full story)

But CISL and UIL later came to an agreement with the government, leaving CGIL the sole opponent.

Industrial disruption has centred on one particular element of President Silvio Berlusconi's labour plans -- Article 18 which states that a company with more than 15 employees must reinstate a worker if a court finds that he or she was sacked without "just cause."

It is only a small part of the planned legislation but the government insists it is necessary to change the arcane legislation to modernise Italian labour laws and bring them more in line with the European Union.

But the unions say it will make it easier for firms to sack staff and lead to massive job losses.

European travellers have already had to face widespread disruption. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and travellers stranded last month as a strike led by French air traffic controllers spread to other countries and brought chaos across the continent. (Full story)

And plans for a "single sky" scheme has also provoked walkouts by air transport staff who say EU proposals to streamline air transport will threaten safety. (Full story)