The World Federation of trade Unions addresses to the working class and people of Italy. We live in a period of Pandemic, where the Coronavirus is spreading to the four corners of the world, your people have already paid a heavy price in human lives. We want to express our deep sorrow for every life that has been lost due to the pandemic.
Even if the spreading of the virus seems unavoidable, we strongly believe that the class-oriented trade unions in every country of the world have to keep up and intensify their struggle demanding the protection of health, safety and life of the ordinary people.
The austerity imposed by the EU in recent years, which has resulted in economic cuts in the health sector, the closure of hospitals, cuts in the number of beds and healthcare staff, and the regionalisation of the health system are the real sources of the problem. The governments are trying to convince us that the spreading of the coronavirus is “personal responsibility” trying to hide the huge gaps in the health system.
On the other hand, the monopolies and the employers are trying to find new ways to exploit the people as workers and as consumers. The prices of the means of protection are raised even more than 1000% in some cases. The employers are refusing in practice to take sufficient means of protection in many work places. One more time the governments and the employers are treating the people under the rules of “cost and profit”.
Our only weapons are solidarity, our common struggles against the policies of EU, the governments and the employers. Under this aspect the WFTU fully supports the demands of its affiliated organization USB in Italy, as the only demands with philanthropic, anthropocentric and pro-labor character. We demand immediate measures of social protection, defense of our working and salary rights. Only through our resistance and struggle we can defend our rights.
The WFTU Secretariat
