Maurizio Landini, the head of Italy’s prominent trade union confederation CGIL, delivered a passionate call to action during a demonstration held in central Rome’s Piazza San Giovanni. The event, organised by a coalition of associations, opposition parties, and unions, drew an estimated crowd of 200,000 attendees.
Addressing the massive demonstration from the stage, Landini emphasised, “We represent the majority of this country. We need to fight.” He underscored the importance of ongoing efforts to defend citizens’ rights and uphold the Constitution.
Landini expressed unwavering determination, stating, “”We represent the majority of this country. We need to fight. We will not stop and we will go on until we get results.” He renewed his plea for the establishment of a minimum hourly wage, calling wages as low as €5-6 per hour unacceptable and akin to starvation wages.
CGIL Criticises Government Actions
Landini also criticised the government’s decision to delay the parliamentary examination of a joint opposition bill concerning the minimum wage. The delay was intended to provide the National Council for Economics and Labour (CNEL) with time to develop a comprehensive proposal for inclusion in the 2024 budget. Landini saw this move as a failure of the government to take responsibility and accused it of outsourcing its duties to the CNEL.
In Landini’s view, this action constituted an attack on the autonomy and free actions of workers, casting a shadow on the government’s commitment to addressing critical issues such as labour contracts, representation laws, and the minimum wage.
“Instead of taking the responsibility to convene social partners and say what it wants to do on contracts, on the law on representation, on the minimum wage, the government has subcontracted its role to the CNEL.
It is an attack on the free action of workers,” the CGIL leader said.
