“Success.” This is how the USB (Unione Sindacale di Base) qualified the first general strike organized by the independent unions – Usb, Orsa, SlaiCobas, Cib-Unicobas, Snater, SiCobas and Usi – against the Monti administration. The union believes the movement was successful, at first, because of the “increasing awareness of the damages to workers of the Monti-ECB tandem” and the “requirement to support and strengthen independent and confrontational unionism through fight.” The union says there was “high attendance” to the strike movement in all sectors, especially transportation. Indeed, there was an average turnout of 70 percent, peaks at 80 percent in bologna or Venice, in local public transport, the cancellation of “many trains” (the Orsa union was striking against the removal of the obligation to comply with the rail sector’s national collective agreement in the businesses concerned) and “many flights” (most in the Rome Fiumicino airport and Milan Malpensa). The retail strike against the liberalization of shops’ opening hours was equally successful. In Rome, “at least 40,000” people took part in the national demonstration, led by a banner reading, “Monti government out; we will not pay the debt.” Unions say this is a large number given the fact that workers from southern Italy couldn’t come because they didn’t have enough gas for the buses following the truck drivers’ strike.
e, “at least 40,000” people took part in the national demonstration, led by a banner reading, “Monti government out; we will not pay the debt.” Unions say this is a large number given the fact that workers from southern Italy couldn’t come because they didn’t have enough gas for the buses following the truck drivers’ strike.
Truck drivers paralyzed the country. The truck drivers started mobilizing on January 23 and grew unexpectedly because of social networks, mailing lists and text messages,
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