Yesterday Italian unions staged a General Strike in protest at the Jobs Act which seeks to deregulate employment rights by weakening national bargaining and removing protections against unfair dismissal.
CGIL leader Susanna Camusso addressing a strike rally in Turin said: 'The government has to change its policies on employment. The Jobs Act and the budget do nothing to revive the economy and create jobs'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30447158
In their biggest protest for a decade, up to one million Italian trade unionists mobilised in Rome yesterday in opposition to attacks on employment rights by the Democratic Party led Italian Government. Susanna Camusso, head of the CGIL, the trade union centre which organised the protest, said: "We want work for everyone, and work with rights. This is a demonstration for those without work, without rights, those who suffer, who have no certainties for the future. We are here and we're not going away. We will strike and use all our strength to fight to change this Government's policies."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-29771540
‘We want to eliminate the poison that kills investment’ said Italian politician Giuliano Poletti in a debate this week in the Italian senate. Poletti, the labour minister in the supposed centre left Democratic Party led Government, was referring to redundancy protection and other employment rights long enshrined in Italy’s labour code. The main Italian union centre CGIL is pledged to fight the so called Jobs Act and will be holding a national demonstration in Rome on 25 October:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/09/italy-pm-matteo-renzi-wins-confidence-vote-labour-reforms
‘We can't wait anymore’ was a popular slogan at yesterday’s trade union led demonstration in Rome. Italy’s prolonged economic crisis has been worsened by severe cuts in public services and a weakening of workers’ rights. Youth unemployment currently stands at a record 38%. "We need to start over with more investment. If we don't restart with public and private investments, there will no new jobs" said Maurizio Landini of the metalworkers union FIOM:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22581759
Approximately 1,000 workers are in the process of being dismissed in Italy by the UK firm Compass. Demonstrations were held by trade unions in Rome against the decision, which leaves these workers and their families looking forward to a Christmas of misery. In an economy spiralling down the path of Greece at lightening speed the company claimed that it was a decision taken not because of austerity policies but because of a need to `restructure` its business:
Italian trade unionists demonstrated in Rome yesterday against the unelected Prime Minister Mario Monti's relentless programme of public spending cuts. The strike and protest was called by the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) and the Italian Union of Labour (UIL).
Yesterday millions of Italian trade unionists took part in a general strike in protest against plans by the unelected Italian government to impose drastic austerity measures against working people, including attacks familiar to UK workers such as raising the retirement age to 66 by 2018 and reduce inflation indexing for pensions and other benefits:
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/113068
Interest paid by the Italian government on their bonds just went to 7.4% more than the Greeks when they were bailed out…interest rates on bonds are not fixed – they rise and fall against the price banks will pay for the next or current issue of bonds – so if the price goes down the interest rate or yield goes up.
UNISON has sent solidarity greetings to the Public Services Federation of sister union CGIL as the Italian trade union movement today mounts a general strike against austerity measures being imposed by the Berlusconi government:
http://bit.ly/mU2473
Today in Rome, UNISON Italian sister union CGIL is mounting a national demonstration for “the future of our youth and work”. Hundreds of thousands will attend the march to demand more rights and more democracy. Other demands are for more equality and justice to get out of the crisis. Another aspect of the march is to denounce the terrible living and working condition of many migrant workers in Italy. Here you can read the CGIL leaflet in English
http://www.epsu.org/IMG/pdf/ENG_volantino27.pdf
Hard on the heels of yesterday’s general strike in France, today Italian trade unionists have followed suit. The CGIL union federation is reporting mass support for today’s strike against Government austerity measures:
