Italian car workers go on national strike for first time for 20 years

Car workers gather in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo Square during a demonstration on Friday (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Workers in Italy’s troubled automotive sector are holding a national strike on Friday for the first time for 20 years, with a massive demonstration being held in the centre of Rome.

The strike, called by the sector’s three main unions, comes as tensions rise between global automaker Stellantis and the Italian government, which accuses the car-making giant of relocating assembly plants to low-cost countries.