The leader of the CGIL: “Very serious political attack” against the union by an executive “who is afraid of those who don’t think like him. We will keep you under control”
CGIL on a war footing against government policies. National secretary Maurizio Landini announced a mobilization that “will not end until it produces results and the government agrees to change its policies”, reiterating the objective of the union which on 7 October will bring together over 200 secular associations and Catholics in defense of the Constitution.
“Conditions are getting worse – Landini reports – and it’s anguish. Not a day goes by without a death at work, the situation is no longer acceptable and we are tired of expressing solidarity with family members, we need to change the models and systems with which we work and produce. Enough contracts, enough precariousness, the government must change this framework”, he lists, recalling how with the latest maneuver vouchers have been reintroduced, fixed-term contracts have been extended, citizenship income has been canceled and the NHS has been cut, “and now they are talking about autonomy differentiated. What do we still have to wait for? It’s time – he says – to reverse this trend: we need to increase wages but above all we need to carry out tax reform which is the opposite of what is being discussed in Parliament,” he lists. And he admits: “I don’t know if we will achieve a result but I am sure that if we don’t no one will do it for us. We need dignity and courage to try to change the situation.”
“The government is afraid of those who don’t think the same way”
He then attacks: “This government is afraid both of the demonstration on 7 October and of the various mobilizations that are growing throughout the country but also of all those who don’t think like them”, he states, denouncing the consideration according to which the union is kept under control by the government.
“Political attack on the CGIL”
“There is a political attack against the CGIL and its secretary. A very serious fact, which has never happened before”, he denounces. “We very calmly know that history speaks for us. And we want to overturn the concept: with our 5 million members, with the demonstration on the 7th we are the ones who watch over the government, on what it does or does not do, to defend the interests of workers. We find ourselves in such a difficult situation as ever, the issues are all coming to a head at the same time. And what does the government do in the face of such a complex picture? The largest majority party decides to make an interpellation, using summary reconstructions and journalistic indiscretions to which the government responded in 2 days because, it said, it must be vigilant. A very serious fact, which has never happened before with which an attempt is made to delegitimize the union”, he says, referring to the affair triggered by the dismissal of the former CGIL spokesperson, Massimo Gibelli.
“Inflation? Fake meetings with the government”
He then attacks “the fake meetings” between the government and the unions, “even in today’s meeting on inflation there is nothing new. A possible agreement is announced where the subjects can choose whether to join or not but this inflation is driven by increased profits and speculation. We must therefore increase wages in a structural way – Landini insists – confirm the cut in the contribution wedge. And it’s time to tax relief contractual increases, act on local public transport and address the housing issue”.
“Migrants? They should close airports to prevent Italians from fleeing”
“The government shows that it is not capable of tackling any of the problems on the table: they are saying that our problem can be solved by closing the ports and borders. They say: be careful, your problem is those who flee from Africa. They are trying to make pass the message that the problem is people like us who flee from wars and famine…But then they forget that there are 5 million Italians living abroad…and There are always more young Italians who leave Italy every year than those who arrive in the country. For this reason, they should not close ports but rather airports so as not to scare away young Italians who move abroad in search of a decent wage.”
Source-www.adnkronos.com