Sciopero! Sciopero! - Part 2

Largely unreported in the North America, there has been a major truck strike here in Italy. For the past four days roads into and out of major cities have been blocked by disgruntled truck drivers. Angry at the steep rise in fuel prices and the low wages paid by the major trucking companies the drivers are demanding government action. Though what exactly the government can do at this point is unclear.

Unlike the strikes I mentioned before that were mildly inconvenient this one has had a major effect on the country. Italy depends on trucking for 95% of delivery needs. Little in the way of goods are produced here in Rome or the outskirts most of what we consume in our daily lives must be trucked in. Petrol stations are running out of gas and most are closed - the streets are starting to become strangely quiet as people are afraid to take their cars out. Supermarket shelves are starting to run low on stock items and fresh produce; if it continues very little will be available at the traditional Saturday markets. In other parts of the country shortages have led to factory shutdowns, cancelled garbage collection and stores are showing lower than normal sales for the pre-Christmas season.

In the New York Times today, the first mention of the strike, there is speculation that it may be a political maneuver to further destabilize Romano Prodi's government. What ever the reason it appears to be only the surface of a greater problem that is facing Italy according to an extended piece in the International Herald Tribune.

Other than noticing a decrease in traffic today I must admit the strike has had little direct effect on us. Fortunately we had done a bit of stocking up last weekend as we realized that this week was going to be a bit too busy for daily shopping. Sometimes "too busy" can have its advantages.

Update: A report in the IHT says that two of the truckers unions agreed to returned to work last night. Thing should start returning to normal but in the mean time it is calculated that the food industry alone lost about EUR210 million a day (thats USD 336 million and CAD 312 million.) If though the Italian economy can handle those sort of loses these days.
13 decembre - Santa Lucia

Sciopero! Sciopero!*

I was brought up in the Ontario of the late 40s as what they called a "red diaper baby," my father was a firm believer in the unions (though he was a manager and his shop wasn't unionized?) and a founding member of the CCF (a left-wing party that became the NDP and got Canada its National Health Plan amongst other things.) He was not a radical in any way and certainly didn't believe in the sort of strike action that involved sending a burning car into a loading dock as happened at a factory near us. He firmly believed in the rights of workers to a safe workplace and honest day's pay for an honest day's work.

Some of his desire for social democracy must have rubbed off on me and I became active in the Union when I joined Air Canada. Like him, I was never a radical but worked on Health and Safety issues and played my part in the strikes that were called during those 33 years. I remember walking the picket line the first morning of a lengthy strike: it was 0600, Bloor St in downtown Toronto and a blinding snow storm. As the three of us - we had been working midnight shift - marched up and down waving our placards, waiting for colleagues to join us, TV cameras recorded our frozen faces and valiant chants. My friend Susan was trying desperately to hide behind me because she didn't want her father, then President of Sterling Drugs, to see her on the picket line. I would love to think that anything I did bettered conditions where I worked but as I've grown older I question how effective it really was. I know in the case of one strike the only people who won where our Union Executive who got cushy jobs with another union out of it.

So why this Union and strike talk? Well a massive general strike is planned here in Italy tomorrow (November 30):

• Airlines from 1100- 1500
• Trains from 0900 - 1700
• Public Transit from 0900-1700
• Ships/Traghetti delayed 24 hours from schedule departure
• Highway Emergency Assistance from 0700-1500
• Car Rentals from 0900-1700
• Four hour strike of Highway/Autostrade workers - e.g. Toll Booth collectors

Already in Rome we have had two days of work-to-rule and traffic-snarling demonstrations by cab drivers - apparently because 500 more taxi licenses were issued at the beginning of the week. Performances at some of the opera houses and theatres were cancelled - opening night of Moise at the Rome Opera, Forza del Destino in Florence and three performances at La Scala. But apparently negotiators reached an agreement with opera house staff late Tuesday night so winter seasons will begin (pax Rome and Florence) as intended.

Once again as I guest I am not in a position to comment but let's just use as an example Alitalia. Italy's airline loses an approximate EUR 1 million a day - that's a day; wouldn't this suggest that striking for higher wages and job security would come under the category of "blood from a stone?"

So tomorrow it looks like I'll not be flying, training, busing, sailing, breaking-down or car renting. It may just be the day to finally clean up what we laughingly call the office.

*Strike! Strike!

29 novembre - San Saturino