Alcoa workers stage a sit-in to defend their jobs
Unemployment rate in Italy rose to 8.5% last December. So again, after Termini Imerese, we keep on talking about a fundamental issue: “jobs”. Yesterday afternoon about 400 Alcoa workers staged a sit-in in Rome, in front of Berlusconi’s office in Montecitorio, during a meeting between the American multinational of aluminium, trade unions and the Italian government.
Infact recently Alcoa showed the intention to shut down two plants in Italy, after EU’s executive European Commission in late 2009 ordered the company to pay back the aid (electricity subsidies) received from Rome and estimated at between 215 and 290 million euros. By contrast, according to the aluminium multinational, operating in Italy is unsustainable without such aid. A new table of discussion will be held on February the 8th.
Also the Pope, Benedict XVI, last Sunday talked about the serious situation Italy is going through and said: “The crisis is causing many to lose their jobs and everyone - employers, government and workers – must show a great sense of responsibility. Do everything you can to protect and boost jobs in order to offer dignified and adequate work to support families.”
During the year 2009 government kept saying that it was only an economic and financial crisis, NOT social. Were they too optimistic? Or are things changing again? I think they should begin to worry about a social crisis too.
