On Friday 25 June tens of thousands of Italians took to the streets to protest public spending cuts that are part of a tide of government austerity washing over Europe. The series of demonstrations was organised by the CGIL union confederation. The government’s austerity plan includes a 10% budget cut across government departments. Union activists say they recognize the need to reduce Italy's budget deficit but that the axe falls hardest on those who can bear it the least. “We say no to this budget. It is wrong, unjust, it stunts growth, it does not kick-start production, it doesn't touch the rich, and it punishes workers,” CGIL leader Fulvio Mammoni told thousands of protesters in Naples.
English: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-italy-strikes ...
For more information, please contact the editor Maarten van Klaveren, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) M.vanKlaveren@uva.nl. You may find further information on the ETUI atwww.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net. © ETUI aisbl, Brussels 2009.