Italy’s cultural workers stage nationwide strike over precarious conditions

On 12 June, thousands of cultural sector workers in about thirty Italian cities staged a coordinated strike. Participants included employees from publishing, press offices, museums, libraries, visual arts, set design, opera houses and freelance professionals. The mobilisation, organised by various unions and the Confederazione Unitaria di Base, demanded higher wages, more permanent contracts, improved health‑and‑safety standards and a reduction of outsourcing and temporary jobs.

Union representative Enrico Baroni said the strike succeeded despite attempts by some organizations to deem it illegitimate, noting that “the strike worked despite the threats and the reference to Law 146”. The action led to altered opening hours, temporary closures or reduced services in museums, theatres and even Venice Biennale venues, with several national pavilions shutting or shortening their schedules. Bookstores, cultural mediation services and libraries also joined the walk‑out, highlighting widespread discontent over precarious employment in Italy’s cultural sector.