Italy’s major trade unions have declared a national strike of private healthcare workers and staff in residential care homes (RSA) for 17 April 2026, amid stalled negotiations over the renewal of sector-wide labour contracts covering around 300,000 employees, union leaders said on Friday.
The protest comes after weeks of talks, including a meeting set for 4 March with the Minister of Health, ended without meaningful progress, according to the national secretariats of Fp Cgil, Cisl Fp and Uil Fpl, which jointly issued the strike call.
Contracts stuck for years
The unions say the national collective contracts for private healthcare and RSA workers have been left expired for too long, some for 8 to 13 years, creating deep divides with the public sector on salary and employment conditions.
They point to a significant pay gap between public and private sector healthcare staff. For example, nurses in private care can earn about €500 a month less than their counterparts in the public system, a disparity that unions warn is driving staff away from private facilities and undermining care quality.
Why the walkout
In their statement, the unions said they welcomed the government’s involvement in the talks but criticised the lack of concrete results. They accused employer associations such as Aiop and Aris of tying negotiations to full funding commitments by the government and regional authorities, rather than engaging in meaningful bargaining.
“We are calling workers to Rome on 17 April to demand real negotiation, with certain resources and genuine willingness to conclude a contract that recognises the value of their work,” the unions said, emphasising the essential role these workers play in Italy’s healthcare landscape.
Unions are also demanding clearer rules on institutional accreditation to ensure private providers operate under standards aligned with public healthcare and to prevent “contractual dumping”, where employers use weaker conditions in the private sector to reduce costs.
Earlier strike action
The April 17 strike builds on earlier mobilisations this year. Separate union notices had also called a national strike for 17 March focused on similar issues in private healthcare and nursing homes, underscoring continuing frustration over the stalled renewal of collective agreements.
In addition, a strike of private pharmacy workers, employing over 76,000 people, has been scheduled for 13 April to press for a contract renewal that has been delayed since August 2024.
