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IKEA workers in Italy staged a nationwide 24-hour strike over the weekend, with participation exceeding 80% in some locations, according to unions. The strike, called by UNI Global Union affiliates FILCAMS CGIL, FISASCAT CISL and UILTUCS, saw thousands of workers walk off the job on March 15, bringing operations to a halt in several stores. Large protests were held at IKEA locations in Carugate (Milan), Anagnina (Rome), and Afragola (Naples), drawing hundreds of demonstrators demanding fair pay and better working conditions.
The strike was part of an escalating campaign to push IKEA to renew its expired collective agreement, which has been in limbo since 2018. Despite 18 months of negotiations, the unions report that IKEA has refused to engage in meaningful discussions and has rejected key demands.
IKEA employs approximately 7,500 workers in Italy across 40 stores, eight remote customer meeting points, two distribution centers and its headquarters. The unions have raised multiple concerns including unequal pay for newly hired employees performing the same tasks as their colleagues; lack of career growth opportunities; reduced sick leave protections with proposals requiring medical certificates for just one day off; mandatory holiday work disrupting work-life balance; and union suppression along with job security concerns due to high percentages of part-time contracts without additional hours.
