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Jul. 23, 2005

epsucob@NEWS 22 July 2005

Fire service takes second day of strike action

Fire service workers in Italy are taking a second day of strike action in protest at the government's proposed reorganisation of the service which would leave it with less autonomy and reduce the role of the union. Around 75% of workers supported the first strike and there was a large turnout for the national demonstration. Read more at > FPCGIL

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Sep. 16, 2005

epsucob@NEWS 16 September 2005

Prison service workers protest

The main Italian union federations representing prison service workers have called a national demonstration in Rome for 29 September. They are protesting at prison overcrowding, the inadequate staffing levels and poor working conditions for prison officers Read more at > CGIL

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Oct. 02, 2005

epsucob@NEWS 1 October 2005

Health workers action

Health workers action Medical, veterinary, health and administrative workers are planning a sit-in at the Ministry of Health on 4 October and a 24-hour strike on 17 October in protest at the failure to implement their four-year general collective agreement from 2001. The unions are still waiting for this agreement to take effect so that they can begin to negotiate the pay agreement for the years 2004-2005. Read more at > FP-CGIL

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Nov. 27, 2005

epsucob@NEWS 28 November 2005

Demonstrations and strike threat over government policies

Following a large demonstration in Valletta on 24 November, the General Workers Union in Malta is warning that it will organise strike action across the country on 1 December unless the government comes to the negotiating table. The union has attacked the government for increases to VAT and utilities charges and cutting public holidays. It is also warning of potential job cuts across nationalised industries including the water and energy sector. Read more at > GWU And at > dive news site

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Nov. 27, 2005

epsucob@NEWS 28 November 2005

Widespread support for general strike

Italian unions were pleased at the response to their general strike call on 25 November. The strike was in protest at government plans for the 2006 budget which include no provision for pay increase for public service workers and involve cuts to as many as 100,000 jobs currently done by workers on fixed-term contracts. The unions are also angry that despite having finally concluded negotiations over the pay increase for 2004-2005 the government has not agreed to fund the increases. Read more at > BBC

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Jan. 08, 2006

01 epsucob@NEWS 9 January 2006

Health workers demonstrate around the country

Health workers around the country took to the streets on 22 December in a series of regional demonstrations. The protests were calling for a renewal of the two-year pay agreement which expired in December 2003 and for provision of decent health services for all Italian citizens. Read more at > CGIL

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Jan. 22, 2006

02 epsucob@NEWS 23 January 2006

Health workers plan action in February

Public sector health workers in Italy are still trying to get their collective agreement renewed 25 months after it expired. A planned sit-in outside the Ministry of Health has been called off in the light of further negotiations but if progress is not made then a 24-hour strike is planned for 13 February and a 48-hour strike on 27-28 February. Read more at > CGIL

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Feb. 03, 2006

03 epsucob@NEWS 3 February 2006

Continuing delays over collective agreements

Unions are becoming increasingly frustrated by delays implementing collective agreements in the public sector that were agreed in principle last summer but were already 18 months overdue by then. The latest problems have arisen over the agreement covering regional and local government workers and unions are putting pressure on the ARAN collective bargaining agency to clarify the figures and confirm the funding for the increases. Read more at >FP-CGIL

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May. 02, 2006

09 epsucob@NEWS 1 May 2006

Private health workers plan strike action

Unions representing workers in the private health sector have agreed to a day's strike action and national demonstration on 11 May. The unions are trying to get the 2004-2005 collective agreement implemented and decided on the action following three regional demonstrations in Milan on 20 March, Bari on 24 March and Rome on 5 April. Read more at > FP-CGIL

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May. 15, 2006

10 epsucob@NEWS 15 May 2006

Unions claim successful strike in private healthcare

The one-day strike over new contracts in the private healthcare sector was a great success according to the trade unions with participation topping 80% and 90% in some regions. The unions were also pleased with the national demonstration in Rome which attracted 20,000 workers from the sector. Read more at > FPCGIL

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Jun. 16, 2006

12 epsucob@NEWS 16 June 2006

Tax workers strike over failure to renew agreement

Around 60,000 tax workers will take a day's strike action on 19 June in protest at the failure to sign a new collective agreement 30 months after the previous agreement expired. In calling the action the union pointed out the vital job that these workers were doing for the country in tackling tax evasion. Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)

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Aug. 14, 2006

16 epsucob@NEWS 14 August 2006

Breakdown in negotiations in private healthcare

Around 150,000 workers in the private health sector are still waiting for their collective agreement to be renewed 32 months after it expired. The latest negotiations between the unions and employers broke down despite attempts at conciliation by the Minister for Employment. Further action is now being considered by the unions after the holiday period ends. Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)

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Nov. 18, 2006

23 epsucob@NEWS 20 November 2006

Unions organise demonstration against precarious employment

Public sector unions FP-CGIL, FPS-CSIL and UIL have come together to organise a national demonstration on 24 November. They are calling for quality public services and an end to precarious employment. The unions say the government should stop treating the public services and public employees just as cost centres and acknowledge their importance to the country's stable development. Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)

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Dec. 18, 2006

25 epsucob@NEWS 18 December 2006

Firefighters strike and demonstrate over budget cuts and jobs

The vast majority of Italy's 30,000 firefighters took strike action on 6 December with 3,000 members of FP CGIL, CISL and UIL, joining a national demonstration in front of the Italian Parliament in Rome on the same day. The protests were over the draft national budget for 2007. Fire services in Italy are already 15,000 below the number of firefighters needed to guarantee service levels with temporary workers used to fill gaps and local fire stations facing cuts. Unions argue that the situation is not only very difficult for workers in the service but also undermines the safety of citizens. The

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Jan. 23, 2007

02-2007 epsucob@NEWS 23 January 2007

Government confirms finance for pay increases and future deadline for implementing increases

Public sector unions have welcomed decisions by the Italian government that will ensure that money is available for pay rises in 2007 and that in future there will be a clear time limit for the government to pay salary increases once new rates are agreed. Pay rises are negotiated every two years and the last agreement expired on 31 December 2005. Unions have since been trying to negotiate increases for the 2006-2007 period and threatened strike action towards the end of last year when the government initially failed to commit adequate funds to the 2007 budget to cover pay increases. As in the

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