Wave of dockworkers’ strikes reaches Italy: “July will be hot”

“July will be hot in the ports of Liguria, as we are threatened with a strike. There are bitter negotiations on the terms of the collective agreement. The proposals on the table are not enough to restore the purchasing power that workers have lost in recent years and do not address inadequate legislation. In addition, there are still too many work accidents in Italian ports, which continue to be fatal. We will now go on strike,” said the port union UIL Liguria in Genoa.

After six months of negotiations, the dock workers are still far from a renewal of the collective agreement that expired last December.

On Monday 1 July, the unions warned that if there is no breakthrough in the talks in the next few days, Uiltrasporti Liguria and UIL Liguria, together with Filt Cgil and Fit Cisl, will lead a 48-hour strike by workers at the ports of Genoa, Savona and La Spezia on 4 and 5 July. The entire port sector is expected to take part, which will probably cause significant difficulties and delays in the handling of goods in the Ligurian ports during these days.

“We must not forget that the port of Genoa alone currently employs around 60,000 people, directly and indirectly. Including ship repairs, there are almost 100,000 workers waiting for answers from politicians and institutions. Added to this are the employees of the ports of Savona and La Spezia. This underlines the significant impact of the port system on the region’s economy,” stressed the UIL Liguria union.