An anti-austerity protest in Italy has turned violent as demonstrators clashed with police in the capital Rome.
Police fired tear gas and made a number of arrests in attempts to bring the crowd under control on Saturday as clashes with the police left several people injured, according to medics and an AFP news agency photographer.
Protesters threw eggs and oranges at government buildings before turning on police, as officers tried to disperse the crowd by surging towards the group and blasting them with tear gas, leaving many protesters fleeing down side streets.
According to the interior ministry, six people were taken into custody, and one protester was seriously hurt after a firecracker apparently exploded prematurely in his hand.
Made up of workers, students and anti-austerity campaigners, the demonstration, which was against high housing costs and unemployment attracted 15,000 according to protest organisers.
- Taking aim at 39-year-old Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his plans to reform labour rules, protesters were angry over plans to make it easier for companies to hire and fire employees.
- "So far Italians seem cautiously optimistic about Renzi's proposed tax cuts, but two months in the job, he has faced the anger of those who oppose his drive for reforms," he said.
Federico Bicerni, the youth head of the Italian Marxist Leninist Party told the Reuters news agency: "They are reducing democracy. Renzi's labour reforms will worsen the situation for workers without job security, hitting young people when they are already struggling. The rage of the people in the squares today is justified."
Renzi, who came to power in February, has put forward an ambitious economic reform programme which will see public spending reduced by $6.2bn dollars.
With the country's unemployment rate reaching a record 13 percent in February, he says reforms are a "precondition for economic recovery".
Speaking last week, Renzi said the changes were needed as "there are those who have taken much, too much over the years, and it is time they give some back".
[aljazeera.com]
13/4/14
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
Italians Hold Nation-Wide Strike Protesting Against Labor Measures ...
ReplyDeleteItalian workers are holding a 24-hour strike across the country Friday, protesting against the so-called "Jobs Act", proposed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.
Protests have been organized by Italian labor unions in the country's major cities, including the capital Rome and the second most populous city of Milan, as well as smaller towns. Public transport has been disrupted as a result of the strikes and some flights to and from Rome have been canceled.
The protests come ahead of a larger series of rallies planned for Saturday, October 25. The rallies have been called by the Italian General Confederation of Labor (CGIL) trade union.
CGIL, along with other trade unions in Italy, including USB, claim that Renzi's proposals undermine workers" rights and will not help reduce economic stagnation .
Renzi's "Jobs Act" includes measures that would facilitate firing rules and make the labor market more flexible. According to the Italian prime minister, simplifying the labor code is the only way to attract investments amid high youth unemployment in the country.
http://en.ria.ru/society/20141025/194554565/Italians-Hold-Nation-Wide-Strike-Protesting-Against-Labor.html
24/10/14
Italie: grande manifestation à Rome contre la réforme du travail ...
DeleteDes dizaines de milliers de personnes ont manifesté samedi dans les rues de Rome, à l'appel du plus grand syndicat italien, pour protester contre le projet de réforme des lois régissant le marché du travail. Le Premier ministre Matteo Renzi, pour lutter contre le chômage, propose en effet d'encourager les entreprises à embaucher en facilitant les licenciements et réduisant les droits et protections des salariés dans leurs premières années d'emploi.
Les manifestants, principalement des étudiants et des jeunes, exigent une réduction du chômage des jeunes et une meilleure protection pour les premiers emplois. Le chômage des jeunes est actuellement de 44%, et la plupart des premiers emplois sont des emplois temporaires sans sécurité ni avantages. "Nous sommes ici pour dire que l'insécurité de l'emploi n'est pas notre destin. Nous voulons des investissements dans l'avenir", lançait à la foule un jeune armé d'un mégaphone. Le parti de centre-gauche de M. Renzi, le Parti démocrate, est partagé sur les mesures proposées, notamment sur une éventuelle refonte de l'article 18 du code du travail qui protège des licenciements abusifs. Le mouvement de samedi est la première grande manifestation contre le Parti démocrate, qui est historiquement lié aux syndicats. (Belga)
http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/europe/1135961/italie-grande-manifestation-a-rome-contre-la-reforme-du-travail
25/10/14