- Title: ITALY: TRANSPORTS STRIKE IN ROME
- Date: 9th January 2004
- Summary: (U3)ROME, ITALY (JANUARY 9, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF METRO TRAIN ARRIVING AT STATION, AND PASSENGERS GETTING ON 0.13 2. VARIOUS OF TRAIN LEAVING 0.30 3. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PASSENGER MARIA FRANZONI SAYING: "It was worrying, a lot of traffic and everyone was agitated but if they don't have a contract it is correct they protest. 0.43 4. SMV PASSENGERS ON TRAINS 0.51 5. SLV EMPTY METRO TRAINS GOING BACK TO EMPTY DEPOTS 1.02 6. SLV PEOPLE LEAVING STATION 1.15 7. VARIOUS OF METRO STATION GATES BEING CLOSED AND LOCKED 1.31 8. SLV STATION WORKER WALKING THROUGH EMPTY STATION 1.34 9. WIDE OF EMPTY STATION 1.37 10. WIDE OF STREET WITH BUS 1.42 11. VARIOUS OF CROWDED BUS 1.53 12. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) FIREMAN NELLO FLAMINIO SAYING: "There is a lot of confusion but we will get home somehow." 1.58 13. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) FIREMAN VINCENZO SALGA SAYING: "It's important to demonstrate for workers rights, it's ok that they go on strike." 2.04 14. SLV EMPTY BUSES GOING TO DEPOT 2.12 15. VARIOUS OF (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH TOURISTS MR AND MRS MUIR FROM YORKSHIRE SAYING: "We're affected but we're tourists and we are only here for a couple of days, these people are working and they need money to live so we support that. We bought our tickets we don't mind we'll tear them up and walk." 2.32 16. WIDE / PAN CLOSED METRO STATION 2.39 17. SLV EMPTY BUSES GOING TO DEPOT 2.49 18. VARIOUS TRAFFIC IN RAIN 2.57 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 24th January 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ROME,ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVA7CSSCX7P64IKQNQQRWTUE4K65
- Story Text: Transport strike causes commuter misery on a rainy
day in Rome.
Bus, tram and underground train workers across
Italy resumed their pre-Christmas strike action on Friday
(January 9), despite a new pay deal.
Cities from Naples to Milan were hit.
Workers crammed into subways and buses in the early
hours before the strikes were due to start and drivers
clogged the streets of cities such as Milan and Rome, where
rain further complicated traffic. But most of the public
transport users expressed support for the action.
"It was worrying, a lot of traffic and everyone was
agitated but if they don't have a contract it is correct
they protest", said Maria Franzoni who had caught an early
metro train to get to the office in time.
"There is a lot of confusion but we will get home
somehow", said fireman Nello Flaminio.
"It's important to demonstrate for workers' rights,
it's OK that they go on strike", said companion, fellow
fireman Vincenzo Salga.
Even tourists caught up in the strike gave it their
support.
"We're affected but we're tourists and we are only
here for a couple of days, these people are working and
they need money to live so we support that", said Mrs
Muir, a British tourist who had just bought some bus
tickets that she will not be able to use all day.
"We bought our tickets but we don't mind we'll tear
them up and walk", she said.
The public transport strike for better pay packages
comes a day after air traffic controllers walked off the
job, forcing at least 20,000 passengers to change plans.
Public transport job contracts expired in 2001 and
workers had demanded a pay rise of 106 euros (133 United
States dollars) a month while firms were proposing an
increase of 41 euros.
Trade unions and the transport firms compromised at 81
euros a month plus a one-off payment of 970 euros, but many
workers said the raise would not cover their loss of
purchasing power since the end of their contracts.
The strike chaos was set to continue on January 19,
with a planned walk-out by Alitalia staff to protest
planned job cuts.
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