ITALY: A 24-hour transport strike is called and union members demonstrate against Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's labour reforms

Record ID: 340846

  • Title: ITALY: A 24-hour transport strike is called and union members demonstrate against Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's labour reforms
  • Date: 23rd June 2012
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (JUNE 22, 2012) (REUTERS) PEOPLE AT ROME'S PUBLIC TRANSPORT HUB TERMINI STATION TWO WOMEN TALKING PEOPLE STANDING IN LONG QUEUE ELECTRONIC SCREEN SHOWING DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS PEOPLE INSIDE STATION SCREEN SHOWING DETAILS OF ARRIVING TRAINS WORD "CANCELLED" ON SCREEN WOMAN SITTING DOWN READING NEWSPAPER TRAINS ON PLATFORM PEOPLE WAITING TRAIN ON PL
  • Embargoed: 8th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Economic News,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2NUPLLQTXVSEH6RFSPRBMYN47
  • Story Text: A strike called by Italian unions on Friday (June 22) brought public transport services to a halt in Rome while demonstrators took to the streets in the Italian capital.
    Smaller Italian trade unions called for the 24-hour strike which spans across various sectors to protest against tough austerity measures and reforms of Prime Minister Mario Monti's government.
    The action comes as leaders from Germany, France and Spain are descending on Rome to discuss the euro zone crisis.
    While long queues formed at the central Termini bus station and at taxi ranks, train services were running a near normal service.
    According to TrenItalia, the national railway, 95 percent of trains were running as scheduled.
    While tourists and locals in the capital struggled to get to their destinations, reaching other cities was easier.
    "As far as I know there's not been a problem with the trains and I've seen city buses running so no problems so far," said American tourist Todd Connolly, who was waiting to catch a train to Venice.
    However, some Italians were less confident about the day's services.
    "I come to Rome often and I've never had to wait so long, over twenty minutes to me seems a bit exaggerated. I need to return to Bologna tonight and let's hope I'll find the means to get me back there," said Pierfrancesco Marazzini who was in town for the day from the central Italian Bologna.
    Local television reported some disruptions at the financial capital Milan's airports.
    Meanwhile, a stone's throw away from the long lines at Rome's Termini transport hub, demonstrators gathered for a protest against the Italian government's reforms and austerity measures.
    Armed with banners and union flags, the demonstrators called on the government to stop targeting the low-income earners.
    "We, workers, are not the ones who brought on the debt, nor are the pensioners or the classes who are suffering responsible for it, yet we are the people suffering for all the measures implemented to recover the debt. The debt was created by bankers and speculators and they should be the ones paying for it. However, nothing is being done against these gentlemen, on the contrary, the banks and speculators are still being given more money," demonstrator Luigi Romagnoli said.
    Monti replaced discredited former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi last November as the recession-hit country tethered on the edge of a Greek-style default, passing a tough austerity package to try to restore investor confidence.
    The measures, including 24 billion euros in new taxes for this year alone, pushed down Rome's borrowing costs for a time. But concerns over the future of the euro zone have seen yields return to worrying levels in recent months.
    Monti has seen his popularity fall steadily this year, reflecting resentment at tax hikes, rising unemployment and a year-long recession which shows no sign of ending.
    The prime minister's approval rating has slumped to 33 percent from 71 percent when he took office, polling agency SWG said last week.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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