Italian
You hear the word “strike” — what comes to mind? But where does it originate from, and what does it mean today?
October 3rd, 2025: General Strike for Gaza
The general strike on October 3rd, 2025, was sparked by the Flotilla mission and everything it has triggered — and still has yet to unfold. But let us take a step back and dive into a historical overview. How did the concept of striking originate? The history of strikes in Italy has a clear starting point: the year 1904. That said, early unrest and labor disputes appear to date back to the late 1800s. After the fall of fascism, strikes made a strong comeback, gaining official recognition as a right in the 1948 Italian Constitution. In the 1970s, with the enactment of the Workers’ Statute, this right was reinforced through new laws that offered further protections for both employees and unions.
But what lies behind the act of striking, and why has it become such a central tool for demanding rights? The main goal has always been to apply pressure on employers, aiming to improve working conditions beyond what is set out in the national collective labor agreements. Within union terminology, various types of strikes are defined, but the general strike stands out as the most impactful — involving all categories of workers, where participation becomes widespread and unapologetic.
Strikes go far back in time, with the very first recorded instance occurring in ancient Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses III, of the 20th Dynasty. Workers protested delays in their compensation, which at the time was distributed in the form of food, and they also objected to the lack of ointments needed for protection against the sun. The Pharaoh eventually gave in and accepted their rightful demands. Fast forward to the present: Israel has blocked the Flotilla, demonstrations are intensifying across Italy, the government regulator has declared the strike unlawful, and the future remains clouded in uncertainty.
Photo AI Generated -Pixabay
