After almost two years of initiatives contained and moderate with respect to genocide in Palestine, The Italian Labor Confederation (CGIL) launched a general strike call throughout Italy. Since last week, port and aeronautical workers, organized in Base trade unionism imposed a generalized blocking together with massive mobilizations with the prominence of youth which, in turn, occupied universities.
It is a historical fact, then decades of division between unions majority and base unions, the latter born of ruptures on the left after the youth or working fighting cycles of the 1970s and ’80. The general strike of October 3 was built from below. The important strikes and mobilizations of the last weeks of September, pushed the measure of the majority plants.
Weeks ago, leaders of centrals such as the Italian Confederazione Sindacati Lavoraratori (CISL) and the Italian Aion of the Lavoro (UIL), stated that it was “useless” to convene the strike in support of the solidarity movement with Palestine. But the September blocks put in the center the mobilization force of broad sectors of the labor movement, allied to the youth that faced the police repression. In these days, full of Palestinian flags, the demands of the end of genocide with their own claims against the government of Giorgia Meloni (Allied to Netanyahu), as a salary increase, among other demands.
He October 3 will dawn with a general strikewith demonstrations and blockages in cities and ports. 4, there will be a national demonstration in Romein which various groups, political organizations and unions will participate, among CGIL itself.
Last Wednesday, The state of Israel illegally intercepted the Sumud Global Fleet in International Waterspreventing the arrival of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. In turn, they captured the crew. That same day, hundreds of thousands of protesters launched into the streets in different parts of the worldin solidarity with the brave activists who furrowed the Mediterranean Sea. There were mobilizations in Italy, Germany, France, Spanish State, Sweden, Argentina, Uruguay, among others.
Italian base trade unionism was stirring not only the demand for a national general strike, but also the initiative to coordinate a European general strike.
Prominent events of the latest September strikes, promoted by base unions:
- The demonstrations in support of Gaza gathered half a million participants in tens of cities in Italy. “All the main ports of Italy, 90% of public transport and 50% of the railroads were blocked,” said the base union union. We block everythingIt was the slogan.
- In Florencia, “10,000 workers and students blocked the highway and marched to the industrial and logistics centers,” said Roberto Marchese-railway worker and correspondent for the international network of the daily left.
- In Rome, the Faculty of Letters of the University was occupied. Other institutions were equally occupied in different cities.
- The port of Livorno remained fully blocked and paralyzed. Secondary students joined the workers in a mobilization that reached the Customs Control Post of Valessini.
- In Genoa, port workers led the mobilization with a flag that said “high to arms trafficking in the ports.”
- In Turin they occupied the train tracks and burned a photo of Meloni and Netanyahu. Employees of an McDonald’s posted a Palestinian flag on the counter where orders are taken.
- In Trieste, border city and strategic center of international trade, and an important route to Israel, there were also concentrations in front of the port.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
