It was a provocation and a transparent attempt to intimidate the growing resistance.Īll this has contributed to even more workers taking part in the general strikes of April 22 and May 20. Shortly after the strikes and boycott actions began, the government organised a police raid on the premises of the grassroots union USB (Unione sindacale di base) in Rome on April 6, ostensibly to search for hidden weapons. Time and again they have sold out workers. These strikes are being organised by grassroots unions, which have gained great influence in recent years mainly because the traditional trade union confederations CGL, CISL, UIL, which are linked to the establishment parties, shamelessly support the government. The boycott by dockworkers in Genoa was also joined by colleagues in the port of Livorno. On March 14, ramp workers at Pisa airport refused to load weapons and ammunition for Ukraine, which were to be disguised as “humanitarian aid.” At the end of March, an arms shipment was stopped that was supposed to go to Yemen via the port of Genoa. On April 22, workers all over Italy stopped work for one day under the slogan “Up wages, down arms!” The general strike on May 20 was not the first in recent times. Among other things, it plans to cut the state education budget and to eliminate 9,600 teaching positions. In this context, the Draghi government has presented a new austerity budget. Italy supports the Ukraine war-a proxy war by NATO against Russia-supplying it with weapons and stepping up spending on the Italian armed forces. State employees, teaching staff and care workers are also coming under increasing pressure. Youth unemployment is officially 24.5 percent, but is much higher in real terms, especially in the south. According to the Istat statistics office, more than 3.5 million workers are currently precariously employed 430,000 were added in 2021 alone. With the approval of the government and trade unions, the corporations have used the pandemic to pile the costs onto the backs of workers in the form of layoffs, wage cuts and extended periods of short-time working. The crisis is hitting the Italian working class hard, which is already suffering from unemployment, precarious work and poverty among the elderly. Purchasing power has fallen by at least 5 percent in the first quarter of 2022. The cost of bread has increased by 30 percent, and oil and pasta are also becoming more expensive. The average price of heating gas in May 2022 is almost seven times higher than before the pandemic. On the day of the recent general strike over 26,500 new infections and 89 COVID-19 deaths were reported in Italy.Īdded to this are the price increases for fuel and food. Moreover, the pandemic is by no means over. The strikes against war and massive social cuts are an expression of the growing militancy of the international working class, fighting against growing inequality, the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and the social effects of government war policies. For example, FEDEX drivers in Peschiera Borromeo, where Milan airport is located, are on strike against a sellout by the union confederations, which have agreed to 176 redundancies. Many factories participating in the strike have been fighting ruthless levels of exploitation for years, such as garment workers in Prato and parcel delivery workers and drivers working for DHL, TNT and FEDEX. They have been gaining influence for years because the traditional trade union confederations CGIL, CISL and UIL are losing members in droves due to their pro-government and pro-business policies. The call to strike was made by the Italian grassroots unions, S.I. Rallies and demonstrations were held in the centres of Rome, Bologna, Genoa, Milan, Turin, Venice, Florence, Naples, Palermo and Taranto, as well as in many other cities. Delivery drivers in Milan and textile workers in Prato near Florence also stopped work. There were also stoppages in industry, for example at commercial vehicle manufacturer Iveco in Turin. Many state schools remained closed, as did supermarkets such as Lidl and large parts of the transport and logistics sector. Workers running ferry services to the islands, along with many flights and motorway toll booths were on strike. Public transport in Milan, Rome and elsewhere only maintained emergency services at peak times. Train services were severely restricted nationwide throughout the day Friday, May 20. “When, if not now” and “Get out of the war!” were the main slogans. The strikers also demanded higher wages, a sliding scale of wages to counter inflation (Scala mobile), improved social spending and secure jobs. Workers of TNT/FEDEX near Milan airport strike against 176 dismissals and the sell-out by the CGIL, CISL and UIL unions.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |