ITALY: Millions of Italians stayed away from work yesterday, as Italy's three main confederated unions called the country's first all-day strike for 20 years in protest against government plans to make it easier for employers to hire and fire workers.
Airports, trains, buses and ferries, banks, post offices, schools, public offices, newspapers and many factories all closed down. The day that had a festive "Saturday" flavour, as striking workers staged noisy and colourful rallies in the main cities.
Whilst as many as 11 million workers heeded the strike call, an estimated two million turned out for the rallies, with the largest ones in Rome, Florence, Milan and Bologna, each attended by more than 200,000 workers.
"The country has come to a halt," proclaimed a triumphant Mr Sergio Cofferati, head of CGIL, Italy's largest union, while addressing the Florence rally.
The strike was called to demonstrate against the plans of the centre-right government Prime Minister, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, to reform the infamous "Article 18", a 1970 Labour law which states that a company with more than 15 employees must reinstate a worker if a court finds that he or she was sacked without "just cause".
While the government claims its reforms to Article 18 are relatively modest, and will affect only those who are employed on temporary contracts now, the trade unions see them as the thin end of the wedge and an attack on hard-won workers' rights.
Mr Berlusconi has pledged to press on with his labour reforms, arguing that they are necessary measures to modernise the Italian economy, making the Italian labour market more flexible.
Mr Cofferati, however, yesterday warned that the government could not afford to ignore the clear protest message sent by yesterday's strike.