The September 18, a date marked on tech enthusiasts’ calendars for the debut of the Cupertino company’s new devices, is shaping up to be an extremely challenging day for the Italian retail stores.
The union acronyms Filcams CGIL, Fisascat CISL and Uiltucs have indeed proclaimed a national strike that will involve the entire shift of employees at Apple Retail Italia.
The mobilization coincides in a completely strategic way with the arrival on shelves of the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, blocking commercial activities to protest against workloads deemed unsustainable and the lack of response to specific requests regarding staffing adjustments.
Apple staff on strike, is Day One of iPhone 18 Pro being skipped?
At the center of the protest are the more than 1,600 workers employed in the 17 physical stores directly managed by the Cupertino-based multinational on the national territory.
For some time the workers’ representatives have denounced strong pressure on productivity, worsened by a chronic staff shortage and the introduction of new and more complex organizational processes.
To try to ease the situation, the unions presented the company with a package of proposals, including a shared recruitment plan, converting a portion of temporary workers to permanent contracts, and the possibility to voluntarily increase hours for part-time contracts, adapting these measures to the specific needs of each individual store.
In response, the company management has merely confirmed the intention to proceed with further hires exclusively on fixed-term contracts. This measure was judged largely insufficient by the unions, who note that fixed-term contracts have reached durations near 7 months, clearly showing a constant need for staff rather than a simple seasonal peak.
A confrontation marked by long-standing tensions
The climate of friction between the company and the employees has deep roots. Already from July 2023 the parties had long debated the management of corporate flexibility and issues related to work-related stress, reaching a hard-won agreement at the end of 2024, later approved by 94.7% of staff.
The situation has however worsened again in June this year, leading to the proclamation of a state of agitation that blocked overtime and extra shifts. The subsequent assemblies held on September 7 have definitively certified the impossibility of reaching an agreement.
The workers’ representatives firmly emphasize how a company capable of generating enormous profits, and with a market capitalization near $5,000 billion, cannot continue to base the pursuit of maximum productivity on wearing down its own staff.
The direct impact on consumers and pre-orders
The decision to strike exactly on September 18 aims to achieve maximum media exposure.
On that day, many customers who placed pre-orders from September 12 will head to stores intending to pick up their smartphones and other newly released accessories, including the Watch Series 12, the Watch Ultra 4 and the earphones AirPods 5.
The work abstention will be accompanied by two physical pickets organized in front of the main flagship stores, located respectively at Piazza Liberty in Milan and Via del Corso in Rome. Those hoping to get their hands on the products on day one, therefore, seriously risk finding the shutters down.
The situation will be different for the brand-new iPhone Duo, the foldable smartphone unveiled recently: for this specific model, pre-orders will begin on October 16 and deliveries will start on October 23, effectively keeping it out of the expected criticisms for this wave of strikes.
