Clashes in Italian ports over job cuts

Italian portworkers have clashed with police in a number of protests following the announcement of sweeping job cuts.

Submitted by Django on May 25, 2011

The job cuts constitute part of the Berlusconi government's latest round of austerity measures. The state owned shipbuilder, Fincantieri, is imposing job cuts and changes to terms and conditions that will affect around a third of its employees - two and a half thousand workers.

These include forced early retirement, reduced hours and job moves. The portworkers union have reported that this will result in the closure of the historic shipyards at Sestri and Castellammare.

In response, portworkers have staged angry protests at a number of locations, which have resulted in clashes with management and police:

- Workers clashed with riot police outside government offices in Sestri, a northwestern suburb of Genoa. The protesters demanded to see the prime minister.

- At Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples, workers blockaded officials including the mayor and police chief in their offices overnight. According to the local press, the building was damaged by demonstrators, who also decapitated a nearby statue of Garibaldi, the Italian nationalist icon.

- Fincantieri portworkers also blockaded a highway near Sorrento in Campania.

The company has so far stated that the offered changes are "take it or leave it". Negotiations are scheduled with unions for the 3rd of June,

Comments

Samotnaf

12 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Samotnaf on May 26, 2011

This made me laugh:

demonstrators, who also decapitated a nearby statue of Garibaldi, the Italian nationalist icon.

Hope you'll keep this updated. Where'd you get the information from?

Rats

12 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Rats on May 26, 2011

I would think that your country's ability to import and export goods for money would be the kind of thing you wouldn't cut. But that's just me.

Not that education or social services is for some reason more acceptable.
Funny about the decapitated statue - how do you even physically do that?

Steven.

12 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on May 26, 2011

How do you decapitate a statue? I guess it would depend on what material it is made of. Workers in Hungary decapitated this massive metal Stalin in 1956:

koru

12 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by koru on May 26, 2011

you can see the photo here:

http://napoli.repubblica.it/cronaca/2011/05/24/news/fincantieri_rabbia_operaia_distrutte_due_statue_di_valore-16677019/

Samotnaf

12 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Samotnaf on May 26, 2011

How to decapitate a statue:

Paul Kelleher, 37, a theatre producer from Isleworth, west London, was charged with causing criminal damage for striking the 7ft 2in, two-and-a-half-tonne marble sculpture with a cricket bat and a metal stanchion.