Alitalia warns of strike delays Friday

Alitalia SpA warned travelers that flights could be delayed Friday due to a four-hour strike. The strike has been called for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the airline on Wednesday urged travelers to consult its website for the status of flights. The Alitalia employees strike against reorganization plans that unions worry will cut jobs coincides with an eight-hour national transport strike that is expected to idle train, subway, bus and ferry service throughout the country. Transport workers are protesting the scarcity of funds in the new budget. Labor unrest is just one of the factors hurting the troubled airline, which also has been beset by high operating and fuel costs and competition from budget airlines.