Massive General Strike in Italy Against Meloni's Economic Policies
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Rome, Nov 30 (NationPress) A vast number of workers across Italy participated in an eight-hour strike, voicing their discontent with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's budget proposal for 2025, escalating living costs, and insufficient wages.
This strike, orchestrated by the nation's principal trade unions, the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) and the Italian Labour Union (UIL), saw participation from various industries, excluding railway personnel, who had organized a different protest earlier this month, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
In compliance with a directive from the Transport Ministry, workers in the local transport, ferry, and air travel sectors curtailed their strike to four hours instead of the intended eight, aiming to minimize disruption.
Regardless, the strike witnessed substantial involvement, with organizers claiming that approximately 70 percent of workers in the impacted sectors joined the movement. Italy's leading airline, ITA, had to cancel 109 flights, which included 18 international routes.
Massive protests and gatherings occurred in at least 43 cities, including Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, and Naples, attracting an estimated 500,000 participants, as per CGIL.
The strike was ignited by dissatisfaction over Meloni's preliminary budget legislation for 2025. This budget intends to tackle Italy's chronic issues with high public debt, pledging to reduce the nation's deficit to 2.8 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 2026.
Nevertheless, this fiscal tightening has constrained the government's ability to implement income-support initiatives, tax reductions, and other expansive policies, intensifying discontent among workers.
