Post offices and schools were closed, flights were canceled, buses and trains were idled in Italy Friday as millions of workers stayed home to protest government plans to reform the pension system.

Demonstrators walk in front of Marcello's Amphitheater during a protest organized by the Italian Labor Unions in central Rome, Friday, Oct. 24, 2003. Post offices and schools were closed, flights cancelled and local transport disrupted Friday, as Italian workers walked off their jobs to protest against government plans to reform the pension system. Sign reads 'Defend your future'. [AP Photo]

The general strike was called by Italy's three largest and most powerful unions, which also organized some 100 demonstrations in piazzas across the country. Big festive crowds gathered in Rome, Bologna and Naples, where rallies were headed by union leaders and center-left politicians.

The workers heeded calls to protest Premier Silvio Berlusconi's resolve to overhaul Italy's generous pension system by raising retirement ages and the number of years of work required.

Hundreds of flights were canceled, most of them by Italy's flagship airline Alitalia, but foreign carriers also scrapped or rescheduled flights because Italian ground personnel were among the strikes. Among the airlines affected were Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways and KLM.

State railways said about half of its train runs were canceled.

Also striking for the day were factory workers, including at Fiat, the automaking group that is Italy's largest private employer.

Countless students didn't bother going to class as nearly half of all public school personnel didn't show up for work.

Hospitals canceled all but emergency treatment, and many banks were shuttered for the morning.

Italy's last general strike was staged in April last year to protest government-proposed changes to Italy's labor law.

The government reform focuses on giving incentives until 2008 to workers who delay their retirement age, which officially stands at 65 for men and 60 for women. In reality, the average retirement age is closer to 59, due to Italy's generous "seniority" pensions, which allow Italians to retire at age 57 after 35 years of work.

After 2008, workers who still want to retire with a seniority pension would face hefty penalties.

Despite opposition from the unions — and some divisions within his own conservative coalition — Berlusconi has vowed to go ahead with his plans, and is aiming to push the pension package through parliament before the end of the year.

The unions say the reform isn't necessary and insist Italy's system is perfectly sustainable. They also lament that they weren't consulted by the government on the plan.

Also closed Friday were the ancient ruins in Herculaneum, near Naples. Movie theaters said they would cancel some showings.

Naples, where traffic is usually chaotic, was a particular mess after taxi drivers joined the strike.

Rome saw thousands of protesters march through its cobblestone streets and gather in downtown Piazza Navona.

"I believe the pension cut is unfair, not so much for me and my generation, but for that of our children," said Daniele Venturi, a 44-year-old public employee going to the rally.

The April 2002 general strike protested reforms to make it easier to fire some workers. Business owners had lobbied for more flexibility in firing. That reform coincidentally went into effect on Friday.

A decade ago, when Berlusconi in his first government attempted pension reform, 1 million citizens took to the streets in protest, and his coalition fell shortly after.

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