Italian transport unions Filt-CGIL, Fit-CISL and Uiltrasporti said they will stage a nationwide mobilisation of port workers in Rome on Dec. 1, 2025, to press the government to activate an early-retirement fund agreed in the sector’s labour contract and recognised in law, according to ANSA.it.
The unions said port workers have waited five years for the fund to start operating. They described the work as “complex, dangerous and physically wearing” and called the fund “an indispensable tool” for meeting pension requirements.
Employer associations Ancip, Assiterminal, Assologistica and Uniport said they will send delegations to the rally, citing the need to support older or more vulnerable workers and enable generational turnover in the port workforce.
According to union and employer statements, workers and companies have been paying contributions to the fund for several years, and port system authorities have been allocating 1% of cargo-related port dues, but the fund remains inactive because the required inter-ministerial decree has not been issued.
Industry sources reported differing views among ministries over which body should establish and manage the scheme.
Regional CGIL branches said organised groups of port workers from across the country plan to join the Rome rally.
