For the third consecutive year, Italian unions CGIL and UIL have called a general strike against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s budget, setting the date for November 29. Meanwhile, CISL, another major union, distances itself from the protest, taking a cautiously favorable stance on the budget. CGIL’s Maurizio Landini and UIL’s Pierpaolo Bombardieri announced the strike, signaling their demand for increased wages, pensions, and enhanced funding for health, education, and public services.
The unions accuse the government’s financial plan of being “inadequate for solving Italy’s economic problems.” Landini criticized the government’s recent offer to meet on November 4 as too late to impact the budget. Bombardieri, in contrast, offered conditional optimism, stating, “We’re ready to reconsider the strike if our proposals are accepted,” although such an outcome appears unlikely.
CISL Secretary-General Luigi Sbarra responded harshly to the strike call, advising Landini to “return to union work instead of pulling the opposition’s strings.” Backing CISL, Forza Italia accused Landini of acting more as a political figure than a labor leader. The strike is even criticized by leftist union USB, which argues CGIL and UIL undermine labor by signing agreements that fail to protect purchasing power. USB remains committed to its own strike on December 13.
Despite the union tensions, the government faces more pressing concerns over the latest economic report showing zero GDP growth for the third quarter of 2024, the weakest among major Eurozone economies. Although Italy’s cumulative growth for the year remains a modest 0.4%, the government took some consolation as it secured a parliamentary vote of confidence on an EU compliance bill, which extends beach concessions through September 2027.
