National strike hits Italy
Students march through Milan during a demonstration as part of a general strike in Italy (AP)
Friday March 12 2010
A national strike grounded dozens of planes and brought buses and trains to a standstill across Italy.
Workers staged a march in Rome and other cities to demand job protection amid the country's economic crisis.
The four-hour stoppage caused traffic gridlock in some cities, and Alitalia had to cancel or reschedule some flights.
Hospital and school workers were staging an eight-hour strike, causing delays and forcing some schools to shut, according to the ANSA news agency.
The walkout was called by Italy's largest union, CGIL, to protest against cuts at companies including Fiat, which plans to end motor production at a plant in Sicily next year, and press premier Silvio Berlusconi's government to come up with employment-boosting policies.
