Trains, planes, schools, and opera houses faced disruption today as millions of Italians went on strike to protest reforms of the pensions system.
More than 100 demonstrations were set to gridlock towns across the country and travellers faced chaos as morning trains were cancelled and some 150 afternoon flights axed as part of the staggered four-hour strike.
Schoolchildren got a bonus day at home as teachers walked off the job, but opera lovers found Milan's famous La Scala closed and tourists in Rome waited to see which attractions would be forced to shut their doors.
Italy's top three unions called the strike - the third industrial storm Mr Berlusconi has had to weather since sweeping to power again in 2001 - to show their anger about changes to the pension system.
Whereas now Italians can retire at 57 with 35 years of contributions, from 2008 they will be allowed to stop working only if they have paid into the system for 40 years or reached a minimum age of 65 for men and 60 for women.
The protests come nine years after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was toppled over the same issue.