Issue No. 610
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31 Oct. - 6 Nov. 2002 Issue No. 610 International |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
Italian labour means business
The embattled Berlusconi administration can no longer afford to ignore the people's discontent, reports Samia Nkrumah from Rome
Since the beginning of the year, the streets of Italy have seen protesters of every kind, from non-party marchers better known as girotondi , to trade union strikers and campaigners for a different kind of globalisation. What has brought many to the streets is a rejection of government attempts to introduce justice reforms, which many perceive as favouring Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi; and ensuring that he is not just the richest man in the country but the most powerful as well.
It is believed that the Cirami bill, recently passed in the lower house of parliament, will allow Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to sidestep trial on corruption charges. The proposed law would allow a suspect in a criminal trial to have the case removed to another court if he alleges that the judges are biased.
Berlusconi, who is due to go on trial in Milan, has claimed that the judges who will oversee his trial are left-leaning and motivated by political ends, and has therefore requested a change of venue for the trial. The process of requesting a change of venue could delay the trial for a long time -- by which time, under the statute of limitation Berlusconi would be acquitted. The statute of limitation has already helped to acquit him in three previous trials.
Earlier in the year parliament had approved a bill enabling the prime minister to keep control of his business, including his media conglomerate, thus settling the conflict of interest matter. The three state-owned RAI television channels have seen their ratings slip since the centre-right government came into power in June of last year. They are since headed by government-picked managers and many viewers say that they now prefer to tune to the Mediaset broadcasters, owned by Berlusconi, which ironically seem more objective than RAI. Critics charge that the RAI bosses are deliberately bowing to the higher authority of Mediaset's owner.
The biggest event of the season has been a one-day general strike on 18 October in all major cities, the second this year after almost two decades of stability. The immediate reason for both strikes was government proposals to change a long- standing labour law that checks employers' freedom to fire employees. However, the original reason of the strike quickly became secondary as discontent turned to other pressing issues particularly government attempts to introduce justice reforms aimed at changing the structure of trials. Popular opinion holds that the proposed changes directly favour Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who is due to go on trial in Milan later in the year.
Another event that has dominated headlines is the girotondo movement's conference in the northern city of Bologna during the last week of October. This movement was created specifically to show popular opposition to the proposed justice reforms. There are two bills that have ignited this fury. One pertaining to the conflict of interest issue and the Cirami bill.
The girotondo movement, which had begun earlier in the year, culminated in a two-day conference in the northern city of Bologna to coordinate plans amongst their members. Taking its name from the nursery rhyme of ring a roses, Girotondi are protesters who characteristically march with linked hands as they gather around old courts as a symbolic location.
"While strikes and street protests are nothing new to Italians, what is new in Italy today is the girotondo movement. It is non- party or extra-parliamentary while most trade unions are still party-oriented. It is a new way of putting pressure on the government," James Walston, professor of Political Science at the University of Rome told Al-Ahram Weekly.
The strength of the girotondi rallies is not only due to the fact that they attract people from different political affiliations, but is also their criticism of the centre-left opposition's leadership. The popular Italian film director and actor, Nanni Moretti, has featured prominently in such rallies and is seen by many as the unofficial leader of the movement. Moretti, who is a leftist has repeatedly and explicitly said that the girotondo movement will not be a political party and he is not interested in leading a party.
A factor that has contributed to the popularity of this movement is the failure of the opposition to challenge the government in parliament. In the absence of a credible, strong opposition, many government opponents feel that the only way to effectively oppose the government is by taking their complaints to the streets.
The centre-left coalition is undoubtedly hampered by the fact that the government holds a majority in both houses of parliament, which makes them unstoppable. But the opposition has also shown increasing signs of weakness since it lost the elections a year and a half ago. The centre-left can hardly agree on any issue as the difference between the moderate leftists and the more traditional leftists continues to widen.
The Democrats of the Left (DS), the largest party in the Ulivo (Olive Tree) coalition, in particular is divided between those who believe they'll never win an election unless they become less radical, and in so doing tend to appease Berlusconi, and those loyal to the traditional left. Supporters blame the centre- left coalition for failing to pass a bill that would have resolved the conflict of interest issue between political ambitions and financial interests. Other DS members think that this compromising attitude has cost them the elections. As one commentator put it "The DS is divided over general principles and individual ambitions."
Without a clear leader but many unofficial contenders none of whom seem to be popular enough to galvanise support -- there are discussions going on to decide whether they should pursue individual politics and come together only before elections, or remain in a unified coalition speaking with one voice on all issues.
Another protest group which has been noticeable is the Social Forum campaigners who are protesting against neo-liberal globalisation and its results. They are finding some support in their calls for a different kind of globalisation and an end to the concentration of power in the hands of powerful states and supranational organisations that are neither democratic nor accountable to the public. A characteristic of the various Social Forum groups is holding mass protests. This resonates with the emerging provocative mood of many people from the left. Another characteristic is good coordination nationally and internationally. In the first week of November, the European Social Forum campaigners will assemble for the first time in Florence, Italy's art capital, under the auspices of the Italian Social Forum Organisations.
The choice of location is not incidental. Situated in Tuscany, traditionally a strong-hold of the left, Florence is a model of good administration. The city is run by a DS mayor who feels that protest is legitimate wherever it comes from. The Interior Ministry has warned that violence and disturbances are expected at the hands of the black bloc during the events and many shopkeepers and small businesses are considering closing during the event.
All this is happening against the backdrop of revelations that Fiat's car unit is planning on shedding around 8,000 jobs after incurring heavy losses over the last few years. Fiat is the biggest private employer in the country and is considered a symbol of Italian enterprise. The car industry crisis has had an adverse effect on Italy's growth. While the threat of layoffs has not come as a surprise, the company's plants in the south, where unemployment is the highest in the country, could cause widespread discontent. American company General Motors, which already controls 20 per cent of Fiat's car unit, might buy out the company.
A few days ago, the Berlusconi government has indicated that it will give Fiat an unemployment aid package and that it will not allow the plant in Sicily to close down. Consumer confidence in the country is at its lowest level in five years affecting demand for all goods including car sales. Growth predictions are lower than expected.
It appears that more strikes are on the horizon. Fears of unprecedented power at the top of the country's leadership coupled with a general economic slowdown appear to be at the core of the mass protests. "There is a sense that the government is proceeding more carefully as a result of the strikes. The October strike shows that the largest trade union, the CGIL, which called the strike, means business and is by no means a spent force. Protesters showed a strength of feeling that the government cannot afford to ignore," commented Professor Walston, to the Weekly, adding, "Let's not forget that Berlusconi's previous short-term government in 1994 fell partially as a result of strikes following its heavy handed approach towards labour."
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