Revolting Europe
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Why this Friday will be Black for Amazon in Italy
Up to 4,000 workers at Amazon’s despatch centre at Piacenza in northern Italy will be striking for better pay and conditions on Black Friday. In addition, the workers organised by the unions Tertiary Ugl, Fisascat-Cisl, Filcams-Cgil, and Uiltucs-Uil decided on an overtime ban until 31 December, hitting Christmas shopping. Amazon’s strong growth justifies a more … Continue reading
France’s anti-austerity movement has life in it yet
Union-led protests across France show the country’s anti austerity movement is alive and kicking, despite the betrayals of the Socialist government and the rise of the Right, argues Jean Paul Piérot of L’Humanite newspaper. In the aftermath of departmental elections, the people seemed depressed, cowed. The popular anti-austerity movement, which in recent months has made … Continue reading
Why has the EU’s political revolt been confined to Greece and Spain?
Paolo Gerbaudo Amid a worsening economic crisis, a look at the protest movements that are struggling against austerity could be described as a two-speed.Europe An expression abused by economists and political scientists talking about the different levels of economic productivity and political integration of European countries, it also captures well the distance between countries where … Continue reading
Why Belgians have been marching
Unions led a massive demonstration Thursday in Brussels against cuts to public services, pensions and wages. As many as 100,000 marched against the new coalition government and its plans to raise the retirement age, to 67 years by 2020, and the decision not increase wages under the indexation system that links pay to the cost … Continue reading
Coca Cola workers’ struggle for jobs bubbles over into Italy
The struggle against job cuts by Coca Cola shifts to Italy where workers were striking Thursday in protest at cost reduction plans by the American multinational. The eight hour stoppage is in response to the announcement earlier this month that the company, producer of one of the world’s most popular soft drinks, will make 249 redundancies across Italy, adding to … Continue reading
Why Greeks are right to protest Sunday opening
Today Greece is seeing further nationwide protests by shop employees and campaigners against Sunday shop opening imposed by the Government under the terms of the Troika’s hated memorandum of understanding. The idea is that it will boost competitiveness and spur consumer spending in the recession-hit economy. But according to the latest statistics of the National Confederation of … Continue reading
Telefonica-Movistar: a united fight against exploitation
By Esther Vivas The tentacles of Spain’s Telefonica Movistar spread far and wide. I refer not only to the interests of their shareholders, such as banks BBVA and La Caixa, or close links with political power, and their “representatives” on the board, but its “army” of workers. In Spain, the company claims to have 20,000 … Continue reading
Why the French are right to go on strike
After the recent strikes affecting the French railways – the longest in recent history – air traffic control and the entertainment industry there are fears among the establishment that, as the Economist puts it, France is ‘back to the bad old days’. That was the terminology used about Britain in the 1970s and early 1980s … Continue reading
Italy: the problem with Renzi
By Giorgio Cremaschi* A few months ago all the Italian media reported with great sympathy the struggle of the Greek state television journalists against the cuts decided by the government in the name of austerity. Now they point the finger at the strike at Italy’s state broadcaster Rai, characterising it as a revolt of bureaucracy … Continue reading
Italy’s fresh privatisation drive is economic nonsense
IN THE RADICAL PRESS / IL MANIFESTO Italian ministers have given the OK to afresh wave of privatisations, but to what purpose asks Marco Bersani Italy’s cabinet yesterday gave the go ahead to place on the Stock Exchange a 40% stake in the Italian Post Office and 49% of air traffic control company ENAV, aiming … Continue reading
Champagne to flow again as workers taste strike success
Champagne has been flowing again in copious quantities in London and New York as bankers enjoy a return to the good old days of runaway millionaire bonuses on the back of one-way bets. But that flow of lovely bubbly has been under threat by a strike by employees of Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, Krug, Ruinart … Continue reading
Peace Not War on Italy’s Liberation Day
Thousands amassed on Friday in the northern Italian town of Verona for a peace rally against tens of euro-billions in arms spending by Italy’s cash-strapped government. The Italian peace movement will come together to call on the centre-left-right coalition administration to end its 14 billion euros funding of 90 F35 fighter-bombers. The call from peace campaigners came as new PM Matteo Renzi … Continue reading
Clampdown on protest spreads in Europe
A new front opened in the European clamp down on popular protests on Friday when Italy’s Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said he was considering a ban on protests in Rome. Alfano’s announcement comes after the centre-left/right coalition government led by Matteo Renzi came under heavy criticism recently due to incidents of alleged police brutality against demonstrators in a … Continue reading
Thousands protest in Paris against austerity
Led by several parties of the radical left, the protesters sent a message to President Francois Hollande that they had ‘enough’ of austerity and that it was time for a change in policy. Thousands of people protested in Paris on Saturday calling for a change in the austerity policies of President Francois Hollande. The Left … Continue reading
The crisis in the Balkans reflects Europe’s failure
Forget Berlin – to see the dark side of Europe we must look to Bosnia, the first victim of Friedman’s “shock therapy” on the Continent, says Emilio Molinari If someone in the European elections wants to understand a little more of the dark side of the European Union, of the Fiscal Compact and the 3% budgetary … Continue reading
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