Workers Struggles: Europe & Africa


WSWS
20 November 2009


Europe

Italy: Thousands join recession protest

Over 100,000 people demonstrated November 14 on the streets of Rome to demand greater government action to tackle the recession, according to AFP.

The leader of Italy’s main trade union, CGIL, Guglielmo Epifani, said Silvio Berlusconi’s government was doing nothing to help workers or retired people.

Several hundred thousand people gathered for a similar protest in April.

Bosnia: Civil servants strike over budget impasse
Civil servants in the Bosnian city of Mostar went on strike November 16 after the city council failed for the 17th time to elect a city mayor or to adopt a budget.

The president of the Mostar public servants’ union, Emir Topuz, told journalists, “We do not like being forced to take this action … but it is the only way left for us to protect our rights and to finally make this city functional. We do not do this only because of our salaries, we do it for the citizens because the city is falling into ruin.â€