Truck drivers’ strike causes shortage of goods in southern Italy — Interia

In southern Italy, a protest by truck drivers against high fuel prices has caused shortages of food products in shops, medicines, fuel and construction materials. As Interia reports, many trucks have stopped operating, while in some places protesters blocked roads and motorways.

Empty shelves and fuel shortages

Supermarkets in Naples and Sicily have seen shelves of fresh products, including meat, vegetables, fruit and milk, emptied due to supply disruptions. Fuel shortages were also recorded at the airports in Crotone and Reggio Calabria.

In the Campania region, mozzarella production has come under threat. Construction workers in Calabria warned of shortages of steel and asphalt. Due to supply problems, some localities are facing shortages of medicines and fuel at filling stations, while some restaurants have closed.

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Government response and suspension of the protest

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni convened an emergency government meeting. The authorities decided to provide additional protection to truck drivers who did not join the protest: law enforcement officers have already escorted about 500 drivers. The decision was made following reports of violence and punctured tyres on trucks transporting goods despite the strike.

Police identified 1,339 drivers, 242 of whom were fined. The government also announced financial support for carriers and called on them to end the protest.

The regional logistics federation Fedralog in Calabria, as well as drivers in certain areas of Sicily, decided to temporarily suspend the strike. They are awaiting a meeting with Minister Matteo Salvini on October 27 and stated that, if there is no adequate response, they may organise a march on Rome.