ITALY: Thousands of workers and unemployed people march in Rome to protest against record unemployment and call on the government to tackle the issue

Record ID: 213989

  • Title: ITALY: Thousands of workers and unemployed people march in Rome to protest against record unemployment and call on the government to tackle the issue
  • Date: 22nd June 2013
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (JUNE 22, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING WITH FLAGS AND BANNERS, MANY OF THEM FOR DIFFERENT TRADE UNIONS WOMAN IN MARCH BLOWING WHISTLE VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS WITH FLAGS SECRETARY OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY, GUGLIELMO EPIFANI, SHAKING HANDS WITH DEMONSTRATORS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) SECRETARY OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY, GUGLIELMO EPIFANI, SAYING: "There are so many people here demonstrating, from all the organisations, so they feel the need to push for action on labour. This is the theme of this demonstration. We are asking the government to do the maximum possible to take action on this dramatic problem, to relaunch the country." DEMONSTRATORS WALKING DOWN STREET VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS GATHERING IN PIAZZA SAN GIOVANNI, SAN GIOVANNI CHURCH, PEOPLE IN FRONT OF STAGE VARIOUS OF TRADE UNIONIST SUSANNA CAMUSSO ON STAGE, ADDRESSING CROWD (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) SARDINIAN WORKER, GIOVANNI SORU, SAYING: "Today we are satisfied, because finally CGIL, CISL AND UIL are united and have managed to mobilise thousands to urge this government to reduce taxes to relaunch our country's economy." DEMONSTRATORS IN SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) DEMONSTRATOR, GIANNI BAIOCO, SAYING: "The hope is that this government will take notice of the needs that have been spoken about this morning in this square and also that the European Union intervenes to improve the work situation." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WITH FLAGS AND BANNERS IN SQUARE POSTER SHOWING FORMER PRIME MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI AND CURRENT PRIME MINISTER ENRICO LETTA DRESSED AS FASCISTS VARIOUS DEMONSTRATORS IN SQUARE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF STAGE, SAN GIOVANNI CHURCH IN THE BACKGROUND
  • Embargoed: 7th July 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Economic News,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6STOWVEVBNU9G9YTO0TQT0OEE
  • Story Text: Thousands of workers and unemployed people marched in Rome on Saturday (June 22) to protest against record unemployment and call on Enrico Letta's two-month-old government to deliver more than empty rhetoric on the issue.
    The rally, organised by the country's three largest union confederations, CGIL, CISL and UIL, was the first major protest since Letta's broad, left-right coalition took office following an inconclusive election in February.
    Italian unemployment hit 12 percent in April, the highest level on record, and joblessness among people under 24 is at an all-time high above 40 percent.
    The Secretary of the Democratic Party, Guglielmo Epifani, said demonstrators were calling on the government to take action on an urgent problem.

    "There are so many people here demonstrating, from all the organisations, so they feel the need to push for action on labour. This is the theme of this demonstration. We are asking the government to do the maximum possible to take action on this dramatic problem, to relaunch the country."
    Union chiefs addressed a flag-waving crowd estimated at more than 100,000 by the organisers in Piazza San Giovanni, the traditional venue of left-wing protests.
    Letta's cabinet is due to unveil a package aimed at tackling youth unemployment next week.
    Italy's economy has contracted in every quarter since mid-2011 - its longest post-war recession - and companies are steadily shedding staff.
    Millions of Italians are so convinced they have no chance of finding work that they have given up looking altogether, meaning official figures severely understate the number of unemployed, according to national statistics office ISTAT.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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