ROME (AFP) ??” Public transport was paralysed in Rome Milan.

ROME (AFP) ??” Public transport was paralysed in Rome Milan, Palermo and other major Italian cities according to a 24-hour strike to testify management's failure to renew a pay deal.

Traffic jams and lengthy queues of frustrated commuters formed in Rome where the worst-hit were tourists who place themselves waiting up to an hour in taxi queue at Rome's main station.

The strike was called by way of the leftwing CGIL, Roman Catholic CISL and moderate UIL unions in affirm at the failure of public authorities to repeat a pay deal affecting 120000 staff in the urban public transport sector.

"The strike was unavoidable," said Savino Pezzotta, secretary-general of the CISL: "We've been waiting far