In March, the TAR expressed its opinion against the injunction of a strike. Massimo Betti, national coordinator of Sgb, comments with Fanpage.it: “He tries everything, from the bridge over the Strait to Vannacci, now he’s calling for a strike to gain publicity”
The railway strike of 19 and 20 May was ordered by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. It is not the first time that Matteo Salvini uses this tool, on the contrary: over the last few months, the deputy prime minister has intervened several times on strikesattracting the ire of the unions and several appeals for injunction orders deemed illegitimate.
And in fact last March 28th the Lazio Regional Administrative Court ruled against the minister. The court expressed its opinion on the local transport strikes, deeming that Salvini’s attempt was “affected by violation of the law” and by “excess of power due to lack of prerequisites”: in other words, that that of the ministry was a unmotivated forcing against the right to strike. And in fact the unions promise to fight, as a explains Fanpage Massimo Betti, national coordinator of the General Base Union (SGB), one of the acronyms that had called the strike: “Salvini is on the electoral campaign and is trying again, but this precept is weak from both a legal and political point of view”.
“Salvini tries everything, he is in the election campaign”, the reaction of the unions
The strike had been called by Sgb together with Usb (basic trade union union) and Cub (basic unitary confederation) to block rail traffic as much as possible. With the injunction, however, the mobilization is at least postponed: “We are still deciding whether to postpone the strike to another date – explains Betti – But we have already appealed, given the precedents”. The times are long, but there is the possibility that the TAR will confirm the decision taken in March against the ministry.
Salvini calls for train strike on May 19th and 20th because there is the Imola Grand Prix
“That’s all battle advertising and little substance. Salvini talks a lot about the injunctions, but when we won the appeal he didn’t open his mouth – continues Betti – This ordinance, like the previous ones, is weak both from a legal and a political point of view”. The reference is the reason given by the ministry for the injunction: according to the ministry based in Porta Pia, the strike would have caused “significant repercussions and problems of public order and safety” on the weekend marked by the Imola Formula 1 Grand Prix, for which an influx of 200 thousand tourists is expected. “The GP is an excuse, it affects me personally because I’m from Romagna, but the strike had national scope – comments the Sgb coordinator – Salvini precepts because too many would strike and Formula 1 would be blocked. It’s blasphemy, you don’t go on strike so that no one joinsthe goal is to cause discomfort and involve as many people as possible.”
In short, Salvini would be carrying out an anti-union battle: “And he is doing it for a specific reason. I understand, the elections are close, this advertising campaign against the workers is playing to his advantage – concludes Betti – It didn’t go well with local transport, now he’ll try again with trains. He is trying them all: the bridge over the Strait, Vannacci’s outbursts and finally the precepts.”
The mayor of the Democratic Party thanks: “Salvini understood our concerns”
The mayor of Imola and deputy metropolitan mayor of Bologna in the Democratic Party, Marco Panieri, instead supports the minister’s line. “We had highlighted the importance of such a provision at the public order and security meeting with the Prefecture and then through an urgent letter yesterday afternoon to the ministry – declares the mayor – I thank the minister Matteo Salvini for having taken action in this direction, understanding the motivated concerns of the territory”.
Majority and opposition on the same line also at the local level. “It is right and sacrosanct to defend the right to strike – comments Northern League regional councilor Daniele Marchetti – But we must consider the importance of events such as the Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at the Imola Autodrome for the entire territory”.
