ROME. The demonstrations of CGIL-Uil “Together for justice” are underway accompanying the general strike proclaimed by the two unions against a maneuver considered inadequate. Eight hours of abstention, which concern public and private workers and services, starting with transport. Schools (which already went on strike last Friday) and health care, exonerated from the outset to safeguard the priority right to health in this phase of pandemic emergency, have been excluded from the protest. Five events organized: in Rome, Milan, Bari, Cagliari, Palermo. In the capital, in Piazza del Popolo, the general secretaries Maurizio Landini and Pierpaolo Bombardieri intervene, with their interventions from the stage after the interventions of six workers. At the same time, the other, inter-regional squares.
«We have organized five squares – Bombardieri told reporters -, we asked for the Green Pass. There has never been a strike called by the unions where it was not said it was not the time. If not now when should we have held a demonstration in support of people in need? When we should have said that things are not going well, that there are people forgotten behind ». And then: «It is strange to say that we do not represent the real country, who is left behind. We ask the government to make different choices. The country needs answers, which up to now are not enough ».
After Bombardieri, the word was passed to Landini: “Today is only an initial step towards reforms: we do not stop because we want a real tax reform, we implement new industrial policies, we want production processes to change and people have the right to a decent and not precarious work: this is therefore nothing more than the initiation and participation like the one we see today, of people who, despite the crisis, continue to fight, invites us to continue ». Conflict, this is the guideline: «Are we out of time? No, we are at the beginning of this battle ». Obviously, government activity is under accusation: “Now they are discussing the scrapping of the files, the same ones who blocked the change in the tax system we requested, that is another form of amnesty”.
General strike, Landini: “The squares are filled, the seats are emptied: parliament should reflect” “
Taxation, pensions, industrial policies, contrasting relocations and precariousness, health care, non self-sufficiency and school are the critical points of the maneuver, according to CGIL and UIL. For the two confederations “it does not redistribute wealth, it does not reduce inequalities and it does not generate balanced and structural development and stable employment”. «The budget law and the measures implemented do not give sufficient answers. We want concrete changes for female workers, pensioners and pensioners and to strengthen social and territorial cohesion ”, reads the leaflet prepared by CGIL and UIL for the strike.
Young people and students also joined the general strike called: the Knowledge Network, the Students’ Union and the University Coordination Link joined the mobilization of workers. “Today we bring to the streets the anger and the desire to change of a generation condemned to invisibility, but which does not give up – let the students know – We do not surrender to precariousness, exploitation, free work, the unsustainable costs of education , to the inaction of governments to combat climate change, to a policy that continues to give to those who already have a lot and to take away from those who have nothing ».
On the government front, the strike is not particularly welcome: “Today’s is a strike that the divided union has not been able to explain and totally out of sync with what is happening in the country – it is the harsh position of the secretary of Più Europa and undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, Benedetto Della Vedova -. The discomfort is not addressed. There are no proposals on inequalities, low wages and the productivity that must increase. We will see today’s numbers but I believe that more than weakening the government, the strike will hurt the union ». «The main objective of the trade unions – he added during his speech at Omnibus, on La7 – is the counter-reform of pensions. They are in the square with the thought of canceling Fornero and on this they are specular to Salvini. Landini has a constituency mainly of pensioners and therefore tries to represent two things that do not go together: more money for pensions means less money for young people ».
The secretary of the League, Matteo Salvini, today at Coldiretti, is also tough: “We are facing a farce strike against Italy and the workers, the CGIL will help us to rebuild the country rather than block it”.
According to the first data on the general strike, among metalworkers the membership is 80%. This was reported by Fiom, according to which in particular at Acciaierie Italia 70% of workers crossed their arms, 90% of workers and 60% of employees in Lamborghini, 95% of workers and 80% of employees in Berretta Brescia. employees, 90% at Ast Terni with 80% participation in related industries, 85% in Nuovo Pignone Firenze, 90% in Almaviva Rome, 95% in Magneti Marelli di Napoli, Dana Graziano di Turin 85%, Electrolux di Porcia 70%, Vitesco Technologies of Pisa went on strike 100% of the workers and 60% of office workers.