The port of Trieste has been paralysed by protesters against the introduction of a corona ticket at work, according to local media. Hundreds of strikers have gathered in front of the port area’s entrance, and an estimated 250 people who are not working have also joined to demonstrate against the corona measure.

Whether the protest will impact rail freight operations to and from the Italian port is still unclear. The newspaper Triesteprima expects more demonstrators in the course of the morning. At least 40 per cent of the nearly 1,000 dockworkers in the city have not been vaccinated.

It will be mandatory in Italy for workers to show that they have been vaccinated, have been cured or have a negative result from a corona test. The tests are not free. It is one of the strictest corona measures in Europe. Protests are expected across Italy against the requirement to work with what the government calls the ‘green pass’, especially in ports.

High fines

Employees who show up at work without the pass will be suspended and risk losing their wages after five days. Companies and employees who bear responsibility for personnel can receive heavy fines if people turn out to work without the pass in the workplace.

Although supply problems are expected in Italy on Friday due to strikers, polls show that two-thirds of Italians support the mandatory corona pass. This is already a requirement in Italy for people who, for example, work in education or visit restaurants, museums or gyms. Originally intended to facilitate travel in the EU, the pass is increasingly used in society, including other countries.

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