DATE=04/16/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT'S REPORT

TITLE=ITALY/STRIKES

NUMBER=2-288791

BYLINE=SABINA CASTELFRANCO

DATELINE=ROME

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

Italy's three major trade unions staged a one-day general strike today to protest against

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's intention to reform the labor market. Millions of

workers took part in the national walkout to voice their opposition to the government's

plans. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome

Millions of members of Italy's three major trade unions, the CGIL, CISL and UIL took part

in rallies held in various cities across Italy to voice their opposition to the government's

plans to make it easier to fire workers. They waved flags and chanted anti-government

slogans.

Tuesday's eight-hour general strike was the first full-day work stoppage in nearly 20

years. All forms of transport including planes, trains and buses came to a halt. All public

services, including banks and post offices shut down.

Schools and factories were also closed as hundreds of thousands of people took to the

streets to protest the government's plans to change Article 18 of Italy's Workers' Statute. As

it stands now, the specific article forces companies with more than 15 employees to

reinstate anyone who is fired without just cause and pay the worker the full salary from

the time he was fired.

In a joint-statement, the three trade unions said there was massive response today to the strike

call from workers across the board. They estimated as many as 13 million people had not

gone to work and chose to strike.

Sergio Cofferati, the leader of Italy's largest union, the C-G-I-L, called it an extraordinary day

adding that the government and business world will realize that there will be no stopping to

industrial action until the unions reach their objectives. Negotiations between the unions

and the government broke down last month.

Italy's Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has said he will push ahead with changes to

Article 18 despite the strike. The center-right government in power in Italy has a

comfortable majority in both houses of parliament and has said it will go ahead and

implement the changes without union agreement.

Government members insist the reforms are necessary to make the Italian labor market

more flexible, the economy more competitive and to attract foreign investment.

The unions, for their part, have made clear they are prepared to carry our further industrial

action if Prime Minister Berlusconi and his government do not back down from the

proposed changes. (Signed)

NEB/SC/SAB