Italy’s strike call has split unions and shocked the government by Reuters

ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s two largest unions have called for a national strike to protest the government’s 2022 budget, splitting the workers’ movement and angering allies of Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s allies.

The CGIL and UIL unions called for a one-day strike on December 16, and said in a statement released on Monday night that the budget was against measures on taxes, pensions, schools, industrial policies and job insecurity.

However, Italy’s second largest union, the CISL, said it would not take part in the protest – the first division of the country’s three largest workers’ groups since 2014.

“The CISL sees it as wrong to go on a general strike and to radicalize the conflict for a country that is so delicate that it is still committed to tackling a pandemic that will not give up,” the CISL said in a statement.

Political parties supporting the Draghi union government also criticized the strike, saying the budget provided tax cuts of 8 billion euros ($ 9 billion), mostly aimed at lower revenues.

“Certainly this is not a reform that punishes workers or pensioners,” said Labor Minister Andrea Orlando and a leading figure in the center-left Democratic Party PD.

Matteo Salvini, the leader of the right-wing League party, has been more direct, saying the call for a strike is “inexplicable and irresponsible”.

Government officials have met several times with union leaders to discuss the budget, most recently last Friday. Representatives of the CGIL and UIL have called for the planned tax cuts to be aimed at lower wages and want more support for poorer families to tackle rising energy prices.

“The resources at this stage … should (should) allow for a more efficient redistribution of wealth,” CGIL and UIL said in a joint statement.

The two unions called a rally in four cities by December 16, but it is unclear whether the strike call will have a major impact on the economy.

($ 1 = $ 0.8786)