The work action is expected to disrupt travel, idle classrooms and shutter government offices across the country.

The CGIL labor confederation, the largest in Italy, claims that Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s three-year-old government has had a negative impact on workers.

“While they continue to increase taxes, they reduce the rights of workers,” spokeswoman Susanna Camusso told workers in Florence on Tuesday.

She said the government’s measures to survive the economic crisis have done nothing to help economic growth. “They are thinking only of floating, waiting for miracles,” she said.

Despite its notoriously high public debt levels, Italy has avoided being swept into the European debt crisis largely because of its expertise at handling debt, a low level of private debt and the relative soundness of its banks.

Italy’s ratio of debt-to-annual economic output reached 118.9 percent last year, and is expected to peak at 120 percent in 2012, a heavy load especially compared to the 60 percent ceiling under European Union rules.

The enormous public debt has left the government with little room for budget maneuvering, and more strict enforcement of austerity measures has sent university students, opera workers and factory hands into the streets in protest.

The biggest criticism heaped on the government is the lack of concrete measures to return Italy to healthy growth — the best cure for its debt woes.

Italy’s Central Bank governor Mario Draghi says Italy needs annual growth of around 2 percent to meet the European rules on public debt, provided the budget is balanced. Italy’s economy is forecast to expand 1.1 percent this year and 1.3 percent next year.

Camuso is calling on all workers — not just those in unions — to strike Friday, creating the possibility of widespread shutdowns of public services, schools and transport.

Italy’s flagship carrier Alitalia is changing departure times to ensure service on intercontinental routes and reducing national and European flights.