A general strike is to take place in Italy on Friday. Rail travel, airlines and local public transport are expected to be seriously disrupted. Government workers and teachers say they will also stop work. A national demonstration is scheduled to take place in the capital, Rome.

The unions are demanding that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi provide better protection for workers against the consequences of the economic crisis. They are also demanding an increase in wages and a ban on redundancies.

Photo of the train station at Rome airport by X Tan (flickr)