Italy: tourism workers strike in defense of social benefits and job security

Italian tourism workers, including workers in the catering, fast food and restaurant sectors held a one-day national strike on March 31 to highlight their demand for a renewal of the sectoral collective agreement and their rejection of employer demands for reduced social benefits and employment protection. It was the fifth such strike since the agreement expired in 2013.

Thousands of workers from across Italy joined the demonstration organized in Rome by the IUF-affiliated Filcams-Cgil, Fisascat-Cisl, and Uiltucs-Uil. The unions are demanding that the employers withdraw proposals to cut social benefits and reduce employment protection when enterprises change hands and come to the table with a serious wage proposal.

Nearly 150,000 catering workers and 700-900,000 workers in bars, restaurants and fast-food are employed in Italy’s tourism sector, depending on the season.