Twenty millions workers went on strike in Italy today bringing the country to a halt. All the flights in and out were cancelled, no newspapers were published and, according to ENEL (the national electricity supplier), the consumption of electricity dropped today to the same level normally registered on Sundays.

The first general strike in 20 years was called to protest against proposed new labour laws and particularly against the abolition of 'Article 18' - part of the 30-year-old hard won workers rights law - which states that a worker cannot be sacked without a 'just cause'.

More than two millions people took to the streets in demonstrations all over the country.
In many cases COBAS - grassroots trade unions - and anti-capitalist groups held independent demos, sometimes outnumbering the official ones.

Several direct actions targetted employment agencies such as Adecco, Manpower and some local ones. During last night nearly one hundred offices in the North-East had their entrances 'sealed' with glue while today in Milan the office of an Italian employment agency was 'raided' and covered with shit (the real thing).

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General strike in Italy


Photos: Rome 02
Rome 01 Milan

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Indymedia Italy