ITALY: Thousands of workers stage anti-government protest in Rome

Record ID: 339116

  • Title: ITALY: Thousands of workers stage anti-government protest in Rome
  • Date: 24th October 2009
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (OCTOBER 23, 2009) (REUTERS) POLICE STANDING IN GROUP WITH PROTEST IN BACKGROUND CARABINIERI OFFICERS POSTER OF ITALIAN ECONOMY MINISTER TREMONTI DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING BANNER CRITICAL OF GOVERNMENT POLITICS TRADE UNIONS FLAGS AND BALLOONS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) SECRETARY OF MINOR TRADE UNION COBAS (CONFEDERATION OF MINOR TRADE UNIONS), PIERO BERNOCCHI, SA
  • Embargoed: 8th November 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVAAPXLJHM3BI0KBNF0W479GCZH6
  • Story Text: Thousand of Italian workers have taken to the streets of Rome to call for greater democracy in the public sector.
    Thousands of workers from all over Italy gathered in Rome's Piazza della Repubblica on Friday (October 23), calling for the renewal of national collective agreements for public sectors and protesting against job cuts.
    Ignoring rain showers, the protester rallied in the historic piazza to urge the government to change its politics in favour of public employees.
    "We don't want pensioners and public employees to pay for the economic crisis. We don't agree with job cuts in the school system. We ask for an increase in both salaries and pensions. We ask for a basic salary for people who don't have a job," said Piero Bernocchi, secretary of a minor trade union, COBAS.
    Both workers and the unions want to put pressure on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right government to get more rights.
    "The situation is very serious. My daughter is working at the moment, but actually she doesn't know what will happen next year. I come from Sardinia, and I missed a day's work to be here because I want to say that my condition is really difficult," Giulia Canario, a demonstrator who woke up very early to join in the protest, declared.
    The rally was led by minor trade unions aiming at gaining more democracy in the public sector.
    "As members of a minor trade union, we represent the "Beagle Boys" (cartoon criminals) inside Italy's largest trade unions and we ask for a fair democracy, as the government is stealing all our rights," said Massimo Ludovico, a member of one of Italy's minor unions.
    The national protest took place alongside a nation-wide transport strike expected to last 24 hours.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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