May Day in Bergamo

The May Day stage will give a voice to the workers of companies in crisis, such as Treves, but not only. That of the multinational is the latest case: the French group has announced the closure of the Cazzano Sant’Andrea plant and the 40 employees risk being left without a job. The delegates of the Seriano production site will be on the stage in Piazza Vittorio Veneto tomorrow 1 May (from 11.30), together with other “colleagues” who find themselves in similar situations, the secretaries of the confederal trade unions of Bergamo and Ugo Duci, general secretary CISL Lombardia, who will have to pull the strings of the day.

The job market in Bergamo, although comforted by the positive data on employment and redundancy payments (declining in March), is not free from shadows. And the unitary manifestation of CGIL, CISL and UIL will not fail to shine a spotlight on elements of vulnerability, with particular attention to open disputes in the workplaces of the Bergamo area. Local dynamics placed, however, on the eve of the vote on 8 and 9 June, in a broader framework. It is no coincidence that the title of this year’s Labor Day is “Let’s build together a Europe of peace, work and social justice”. «Bergamo has always responded well to May Day, and this year too we expect a wide participation, which will also depend a lot on the weather», put forward the provincial confederal general secretaries Marco Toscano of the CGIL and Francesco Corna of the CISL, together to the territorial confederal coordinator of Uil Pasquale Papaianni, without going into too much detail on the expected numbers (last year there were over 2 thousand participants). During the presentation of the program (this time in the CGIL headquarters), they talk about a «party open to all», but as always without electoral commercials: «The candidates are invited to listen to the reasons of the confederal unions, but the stage will be dedicated to work and to the workers.”

With a broader horizon, which looks to the upcoming European elections. The secretary of the CGIL Toscano rejects Europe as a great opportunity “also from the point of view of labor law”, recalling theThe impact that European directives also have on the territory. «Europe has a mission of democracy – he says – which passes through fairer work, the value of trade union organisations, which give workers a voice, and of bargaining. The European challenge passes through the guarantee of rights and the fight against

«The European challenge passes through the guarantee of rights and the fight against inequalities»

inequalities, guaranteeing, for example, access to healthcare and public school.” A thread taken up by CISL secretary Corna: «Europe is often portrayed as a place of constraints and restrictions. For us trade unions it is instead an opportunity, and the June elections are an opportunity for a more political European strategy, for a stronger Europe.” He reiterates how «Europe represents a model of social market economy unique in the world, combining economics and social policies, a model to be exported, but the member countries and Italy must believe in it first.” And among the challenges he includes the “digital” one: “With an increasingly digital economy, the risk is that these tools become concentrated only in the hands of some, cutting out others. Supranational management is needed to avoid creating further inequalities.” Referring to the Ventotene Manifesto, Papaianni, for Uil, relaunches trade union unity. «The union – he intervenes – represents workers’ rights. Even in a province like ours, where the unemployment margin is residual, there are lights and shadows. This is why we are committed to the front of precarious employment, protection in the field of minors, accessibility to services.”

Work and social justice cannot ignore peace. «It can be guaranteed by supranational bodies, which must be put in a position to function. Collaboration between countries generates peace and stability”, notes Corna. «There is a need for a common foreign policy that gives the European Union the role of main actor in building diplomatic channels for the resolution of conflicts, both in Ukraine and in the Middle East», agree Toscano and Papaianni.

«Bergamo has always responded well to May Day, and this year too we expect large participation»

For this reason, workers are invited to participate in the May Day procession. The meeting is at 9.30 in the station square, starting at 10. The event will then end in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, with official speeches from the stage. Delegates from Treves and workers from other Bergamo companies in crisis will also speak. «The data from the redundancy fund are decreasing in March, both the hours requested and those actually used, but we need to see if the data is linked to the fact that the ministry authorizes the hours with a bit of delay», analyzes Toscano. While Corna recognizes progress in the field of logistics (the theme to which May Day 2023 was dedicated). «The Province’s project and the regional law that is coming forward are also a response to the requests received from the unions – observes the CISL secretary –. However, questions related to housing and services for new workers arriving especially in the Lower Bergamo area from outside remain open. On these fronts we have asked for supra-municipal coordination.”