18 October, 2010Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in Rome on October 16, demanding workers' rights, democracy and jobs.
ITALY: On October 16, hundreds of thousands of Italian metalworkers marched in Rome in a rally organized by FIOM the metalworkers' federation of the national centre CGIL.
Two separate protests marched peacefully to Piazza San Giovanni, where a final rally took place and two trade union leaders, the general secretary of FIOM, Maurizio Landini, and the general secretary of CGIL, Guglielmo Epifani, addressed the public.
Maurizio Landini general secretary of FIOM said, "We take to the streets to defend the national contract, which risks to be cancelled, to defend work and democracy and to show a different exit from this crises from that shown by the government and the Italian Association of Employers, given one of the biggest assaults of all times on the rights of workers."
The CGIL stated it will take again to the street on November 27, and if no response from the government, the union will call a general strike.
During the rally FIOM also voiced its objection against Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne's plan to curb strikes and increase shifts at the company's Pomigliano d'Arco car factory in southern Italy.
"Competition is not pursued by cutting salaries and rights," and "it's not true that companies don't have social responsibility," said Maurizio Landini, FIOM general secretary. He called for a general strike in his speech if they not get an agreement by the next rally on November 27.
Three workers at a Fiat plant in Italy's south who were fired in July on accusations of blocking machinery during a strike were among those who marched in the protest.