CGIL in the streets for Gaza: strikes and demonstrations begin

A day of mobilisation with strikes and demonstrations called by the Cgil for Gaza. The initiative was decided by the union led by Maurizio Landini - who in the afternoon will take part in the procession in Catania - considering "indispensable a strong, rooted and widespread reaction of the world of work, in support of peace, human rights and the protection of the civilian population".

Strikes have been proclaimed by the various categories, at the end of the shift, in all sectors not covered by Law 146, that is, the one regulating essential public services, where assemblies have been called. Fiom metalworkers, Fillea construction workers, Filcams tertiary workers. The Filcams also called a four-hour strike for transport and logistics workers, excluding sectors such as rail, aviation, public transport and maritime transport. The stop therefore affects drivers of heavy goods vehicles, road workers, parking management. In Calabria 24-hour strike of Gioia Tauro dockers.

Monday 22 September will be a day of risk for public transport - buses, metro and trains - due to the 24-hour national general strike called by the grassroots unions. The protest will affect, among others, the personnel of the Fs Italiane group, from midnight to 11pm on Monday.

"There is a letter from the union's world secretary to all parliaments, to all council presidents, including ours,'' said CGIL leader Landini in Catania on the sidelines of the CGIL Sicily assembly on the topics of the economy, work, development of the Mezzogiorno and peace, ''where they call for the recognition of the Palestinian state, to stop sending arms and trade agreements, but above all they say no to the arms race. This is not the time to spend on arms but on people's rights and quality of life.

'I think,' Landini said, 'that the Italian government's attitude is not just a soft one. Faced with what is happening in Gaza you have to decide where you stand. If you don't tell the Israeli government that it has to stop and you don't send them any more weapons, but instead you continue to send them, and you don't suspend any trade relations, you actually become an accomplice to what is happening'.