Bilan
18th December 2008, 06:40
General Strike protests in more than 100 cities
Clear programme for future struggle needed
Christine Thomas, Lotta (CWI in Italy)
On 12 December around one and a half million striking workers braved driving rain to join protests in 108 Italian ‘piazzas’. The biggest trade union federation, the Cgil, had called a national general strike “against the economic crisis”, supported also by the ‘unions of the base’ - Cobas, Rdb-Cub and Sdl, and the student movement.
The biggest demonstration was in Bologna where, according to the organisers, 200,000 took part in four demonstrations which all converged on Piazza Maggiore where the secretary of the Cgil, Epifani, was speaking. 2,000 students also marched in a fifth demonstration. CWI members intervened in these demonstrations selling papers and distributing thousands of leaflets.
Pressure from below
The Cgil had been pushed into breaking with two other right-wing trade-union federations and organising the general strike following the massive education movement sweeping schools and universities, as well as unrest amongst metalworkers and in the whole of the public sector.
Support for the strike however was patchy and could have been much greater. There is no shortage of anger as the economic crisis is already beginning to bite. In November there was a 250% increase in the number of workers in ‘cassa d’integrazione’ (a scheme for workers who are temporarily or permanently laid off). Hundreds more are on temporary and short-term contracts (who receive no unemployment benefit) are not having their contracts renewed. At the head of the demonstration in Bologna, for example, were workers from the Maserati car company, where 112 had just been told that they will not be getting another contract.
It was clear, however, that the Cgil leadership viewed the general strike purely as a means of workers protesting and letting off steam and then going home again. There was no clear aim or strategy, merely an appeal to prime minister Berlusconi to do something to help workers in the crisis. Understandably some workers were reluctant to lose a day's pay so near to Christmas for a strike which seemed to have no real purpose.
More (http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/12/15italya.html)
Clear programme for future struggle needed
Christine Thomas, Lotta (CWI in Italy)
On 12 December around one and a half million striking workers braved driving rain to join protests in 108 Italian ‘piazzas’. The biggest trade union federation, the Cgil, had called a national general strike “against the economic crisis”, supported also by the ‘unions of the base’ - Cobas, Rdb-Cub and Sdl, and the student movement.
The biggest demonstration was in Bologna where, according to the organisers, 200,000 took part in four demonstrations which all converged on Piazza Maggiore where the secretary of the Cgil, Epifani, was speaking. 2,000 students also marched in a fifth demonstration. CWI members intervened in these demonstrations selling papers and distributing thousands of leaflets.
Pressure from below
The Cgil had been pushed into breaking with two other right-wing trade-union federations and organising the general strike following the massive education movement sweeping schools and universities, as well as unrest amongst metalworkers and in the whole of the public sector.
Support for the strike however was patchy and could have been much greater. There is no shortage of anger as the economic crisis is already beginning to bite. In November there was a 250% increase in the number of workers in ‘cassa d’integrazione’ (a scheme for workers who are temporarily or permanently laid off). Hundreds more are on temporary and short-term contracts (who receive no unemployment benefit) are not having their contracts renewed. At the head of the demonstration in Bologna, for example, were workers from the Maserati car company, where 112 had just been told that they will not be getting another contract.
It was clear, however, that the Cgil leadership viewed the general strike purely as a means of workers protesting and letting off steam and then going home again. There was no clear aim or strategy, merely an appeal to prime minister Berlusconi to do something to help workers in the crisis. Understandably some workers were reluctant to lose a day's pay so near to Christmas for a strike which seemed to have no real purpose.
More (http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/12/15italya.html)