Alitalia Employees Strike

On Tuesday, air controllers and flight attendants of the financially beleaguered Italian airline planned a strike between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time, resulting in the cancellation of close to 400 flights, half of which are international. Pay disputes were the impetus behind the action and are also the cause of the cancellation of 19 Saturday flights from Rome's airport, after a breakdown over talks of a new labor contract. The airline advised passengers to call its call center at 800-650055 or 06/2222 for updated flight information, which also can be accessed online. Since earlier this year, the Italian government, which owns Alitalia, has been in search of a buyer for a 49.9 percent stake in the company, which effectively gives the buyer complete control over the airline. The government has said it hopes a sale will be complete by the end of July. Visit [www.alitalia.com].