It’s Black Friday for Italian commuters today, with a transport strike set to paralyse most of the country. Planes, trains and automobiles will grind to a halt as unions vent their spleen over next year’s budget, and what they say is catastrophic underinvestment in transport links.

The pro-government newspaper, La Repubblica said it will be the worst day ever in Italy’s transport history, with ferry services, motorway breakdown drivers and even hearse drivers joining the strike.

Industrial unrest has already strangled the centre of Rome, with taxi drivers parking up in a dispute over plans to issue hundreds of new cab licences to meet demand.

Copyright © 2012 euronews