Rome, Nov 29 (EFE).- Thousands of people demonstrated in Italy’s largest cities on Friday as part of the general strike called by the country’s main unions to protest against the government’s budget plan.
The strike, called by the CGIL and UIL unions, lasted eight hours in all sectors and four hours in public transport, with the exception of railway services.
In the absence of official data, the unions reported a “very high” number of participants, although schools remained open and most metro lines were in operation.
Workers’ unions gather during a nationwide strike against government policies, in Turin, Italy, 29 November 2024. EFE/EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MARCO“If we put together the numbers of all those who decided to take to the streets today, we can safely say that more than 500,000 people throughout Italy chose to be in the streets to defend the freedom and rights of all”, said the secretary general of the CGIL, Maurizio Landini, at the march in Bologna.
The strike, in which the country’s third main union, CISL, is not participating, is demanding changes to prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s budget, including more funding for health, education, public services and industrial policy, as well as an increase and revaluation of wages and pensions.
According to the participating unions, more than 70,000 people marched in Florence and thousands more in Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, where the turnout in the public transport sector was 70%. In Naples, 30,000 people took part in the march.
In Turin, there were clashes between the police and some demonstrators who tried to break through the cordon of security forces.EFE
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