Italy to join Greece, Portugal and Spain in European mega strike

Italy will join Greece, Spain and Portugal in holding strikes against austerity on November 14 in an unprecedented show of co-ordinated action  on the Continent.

The decision to take a four hour strike was announced Monday night by Italy’s largest trade union confederation, CGIL, which stated:

‘For many years, the European trade union movement deplores austerity measures…They are dragging Europe down into economic stagnation and recession. This results in stunted growth and unemployment that continues to increase.’

‘Cuts in wages and social protection are attacks on the European social model and exacerbate inequality and social injustice.

‘The ‘errors of judgment’ of the International Monetary Fund have had an incalculable impact on the daily lives of workers and citizens. The whole basis of the policies of austerity has to be revisited. The IMF must apologize. And the Troika must revise its demands.”

‘Twenty five million Europeans are out of work. In some countries the youth unemployment rate exceeds 50%.

‘The sense of injustice is widespread and social discontent is growing.”

‘We need to change direction towards a European social pact. The European trade unions are calling for a change of course.”

The European Trade Union Confederation, which has called a day of action on November 14, has been campaigning for economic policies that stimulates quality employment, ‘solidarity’ between countries and social justice.

‘It is time to end tax evasion, tax havens and tax competition between countries. A financial transaction tax should help repair the damage of unregulated capitalism,’ the CGIL added.

The CGIL’s strike was also called in opposition to a fresh set if austerity measures and neo-liberal reforms recently unveiled by the government of unelected prime minister and former Goldman Sachs advisor Mario Monti.

Spain and Portugal are planning on holding a second wave of general strikes on November 14 while Greece, Malta and Cyprus are also planning strike action on the day.