Trains, planes, schools, even opera houses faced disruption on Friday as millions of Italians went on strike to protest reforms of the pensions system, nine years after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was toppled over the same issue.

More than 100 demonstrations were set to gridlock towns across the country and travellers faced chaos as morning trains were cancelled and some 150 afternoon flights axed as part of the staggered four-hour strike.

Schoolchildren got a bonus day at home as teachers walked off the job, but opera lovers found Milan's famous La Scala closed and tourists in Rome waited uncertainly to see which attractions would be forced to shut their doors.

Italy's top three unions called the strike -- the third industrial storm Berlusconi has had to weather since sweeping to power again in 2001 -- to show their anger about changes to the pension system.

Whereas now Italians can retire at 57 with 35 years of contributions, from 2008 they will be allowed to stop working only if they have paid into the system for 40 years or reached a minimum age of 65 for men and 60 for women.

"The strike will be a great success. The unions are like God Almighty. The word comes and everyone obeys," said Sergio Romano, a political analyst and former ambassador to Moscow.

"But having said that, even within the opposition there is the feeling that people need to return to the table and talk as soon as it's over," he added. Like France and Germany, Italy is trying to reform its pensions system which swallows about 15 percent of gross domestic product. That proportion is set to grow as low birth rates and longer life expectancy age the country's population.

Opposition to the reform has revived the recently divided unions, which argue that laws passed in 1995 are enough to avert a crisis and that the government is churning out scare-mongering propaganda to hide other "misguided economic policy."

Berlusconi, already grappling with an economy in recession, will likely be rattled by the show of force less than three weeks after he took to the airwaves to reassure Italians he was acting in their best interests.

But few expect the premier to suffer a repeat of 1994 because the Northern League, the populist coalition partner which toppled him last time, has now rallied to his side.

Close

Today's Top News		Top International News
+China, Australia boost ties with trade deal ( 2003-10-24) +Law puts onus on drivers to be alert ( 2003-10-24) +China capable of launching 10-ton space station module ( 2003-10-24) +Top legislator to visit DPRK next week ( 2003-10-24) +External influence complicates court ruling ( 2003-10-24)		+Italians walk off job to protest pension reforms ( 2003-10-24) +S.Korea's Roh returns home to face referendum fight ( 2003-10-24) +US isolated on Iran nuke programme-diplomats ( 2003-10-24) +U.S., Japan, S.Korea to meet on N.Korea security ( 2003-10-24) +Donors ready pledges to help Iraq rebuild ( 2003-10-24)