Italy New strike against Meloni: trade unions mobilize
Trade unions in Italy have once again mobilized against the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with a nationwide strike. There were major disruptions, particularly in large cities such as Rome and Milan, as there were at the end of November.
13.12.2024, 16:26
SDA
In Turin, there were clashes between protesting students and the police. At a demonstration with several thousand participants in Rome, fire rockets were fired at the Ministry of Transport, according to eyewitnesses.
Local public transport, railroads, schools and hospitals were particularly affected. In Rome, two out of three subway lines were at a standstill. Work at the public television station Rai was also suspended in many cases. At the airports, on the other hand, practically everything ran as normal. Overall, the turnout was significantly lower than during a strike two weeks ago. According to the unions, half a million people took to the streets across the country.
Meloni refuses to be dissuaded from his plans
The protest - declared a "general strike" - is directed against the budget plans of Meloni's government of three right-wing and conservative parties, which are currently being debated in parliament. Meloni has made it clear that she will not be dissuaded despite the protests. The right-wing populist transport minister Matteo Salvini accused the trade unions of wanting to plunge Italy into "chaos". He failed in his attempt to limit the strike to just four hours.
In view of inflation, the unions are demanding higher wages and pensions as well as more money for health and education. Italy, a founding member of the EU, is one of the countries with the highest debt burden. According to forecasts, the national debt will rise to around three trillion euros this year.
