Italy: One million workers on strike, part of an international walkout

Hugo Pierre and Marco Tesei report from Italy

Dockworkers, teachers, local government workers and, most noisily, thousands of youth took action in Genova as part of the international strike on 30 October against the cost-of-living crisis and the use of ports to continue the genocide against the people of Gaza.

Students blockaded all Genova University buildings along the Via Balbi from as early as 8am and assembled on a march to the port. Dockworkers blockaded the main commercial port and nothing went in or out. Public sector workers put up a picket in the town hall. They would have been joined by bus and train workers but the threat of a personal €1,000 fine from Minister of Transport Matteo Salvini prevented them from joining.

The youth made clear their determination to fight and boldly shouted out their thoughts on the Meloni government and where it should go! Many on the march expressed their dissatisfaction with the sectarianism of the trade union leaders and their failure to unite the workers’ movement. They saw Maurizio Landini, the leader of the largest trade union federation, the CGIL, as only prepared to act to either dampen action or opportunistically claim the movement for himself.

However, it is clear that had the CGIL also called a 24-hour general strike alongside the smaller independent ‘rank-and-file’ unions which had called the 30 October nationwide strikes (USB/CUB/COBAS), the action would have been stronger, more widespread and the threat from Salvini overcome. Just like last year when he was unable to take any action on the unlawful joint CGIL/USB 3 October strike.

Members of the CWI distributed over 1,500 leaflets on the day. Many protesters were eager to read how the struggle against poor pay and war could be strengthened and won. And also, how to get rid of Meloni at next year’s general election.

20 November general strike

CGIL has called a general strike for 20 November, the same day as the scheduled international Youth Strike under the slogan ‘Fight for our future, not their wars’. The leadership has been pressured to act so as not to get left behind by the youth movement, which is increasingly seen as a key force in the fightback against austerity and war.

All the trade union federations should call this day theirs too. A bold call to end austerity along with the youth strike would help to transform the situation. This could easily become a protest of much bigger dimensions.

The action on 30 October across Italy involved over one million. Militant demonstrations took place in most cities. Workers and youth could now discuss in various cities how to remove Meloni and her government of robbers from power and replace them with a workers’ government in 2027.

This is a moment to be caught – the broad left (‘campo largo’) coalition being proposed by the social-democratic Democratic Party (PD) and Five Star Movement as an alternative to Meloni would be no match for a Workers’ List with a truly socialist programme.