Brescia public transport faces driver shortage and recruitment protests

Public transport services in Brescia, Italy, are facing a structural crisis characterized by overcrowded buses and canceled routes due to a shortage of approximately 200 drivers. The Filt Cgil union attributes this deficit to low wages, heavy shifts, and insufficient national funding for local transport.

To address the shortage, Brescia Trasporti has initiated the recruitment of 28 workers from Tunisia to serve as drivers and maintenance staff. This recruitment process includes linguistic training and professional certification. However, the move has met with local opposition. The association ‘Brescia ai Bresciani’ organized a protest at the company headquarters to contest these hiring choices, questioning the high costs associated with training foreign workers—estimated at approximately 6,000 euros per license—while existing staff face poor working conditions and inadequate pay.

Labor representatives argue that recruiting from abroad fails to address the root causes of the shortage, such as uncompetitive salaries and demanding workloads. Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding the allocation of public funds, specifically regarding the Brescia-Iseo-Edolo railway line and its transition to hydrogen technology.