CISL opposes the strike. It disagrees with Landini’s line (and the guerrilla tactics). Fumarola is a guest of the PD in Montepulciano

No to a general strike as a tool of trade union (and political) struggle without even having seen the contents of the budget bill first. Enough of this inflammatory atmosphere, which risks further inciting the public, and to which the government yesterday said it intended to respond with measures to support lorry drivers, starting with today’s Council of Ministers meeting. But it must distinguish between legitimate protests and ‘any instances of illegality’. At the same time, the union reiterates its support for an autonomous process bringing together trade unions, employers’ organisations and businesses, focusing on wages, contracts and welfare in order to seek solutions for the workplace. This is the direction set out yesterday by the CISL General Council, which met in Rome and approved the report by Secretary Daniela Fumarola. “Whilst respecting the decisions of the other confederations, the CISL does not support the use of a general strike against a budget bill the text of which is not yet known. A general strike is a measure of last resort, which must be based on precise objectives and concrete reasons, and must not be allowed to become a generic or ideological initiative,” states the approved document. This was an almost immediate response to the general strike announced on Tuesday by CGIL Secretary Maurizio Landini and scheduled for 20 November. This mobilisation follows on from the one already organised by the CGIL last weekend, which encompassed a vast range of issues, from opposition to the electoral law to the situation in the Middle East. This divergence was also made clear by the Via Po-based trade union’s assessment of the clashes that took place in cities over the weekend. “The Council unequivocally condemns the violence and looting which, on 17 and 18 October, on the fringes of peaceful demonstrations, devastated Paris and many French cities, as well as the city centres of Milan, Bologna and Turin, with shops ransacked, police officers injured and hundreds arrested, many of whom were minors. This is not political struggle, nor is it social anger: it is deliberate and organised violence, which targets those working in retail and the service sector, puts the police at risk and silences those who protest peacefully. Those who justify or capitalise on it – as is happening in France amongst a section of the radical left – fail to realise that they are building support for the extremist and reactionary right.” Without underestimating the demands and discontent coming from the younger generations – and for which “it is not enough to ask young people to get involved with the trade union: it is up to the Organisation to create the conditions so that they can participate, be heard and have a real say in decisions” – the document continues.

The CISL, however, reiterates its intention to proceed with its own independent initiative, a campaign entitled ‘Patto che unisce’ which, over the coming weeks – in the hope of fostering a debate on the budget that prioritises investment over ‘electoral bonuses’ – will see the union tour the country, with stops including Genoa on 7 November, Gioia Tauro on 28 November and Rome in mid-December. This initiative runs in parallel with the agreement on which the CGIL, CISL and UIL are working alongside trade associations such as Confindustria. This agreement centres on the definition of a ‘fair wage’ and is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks. However, the report also reaffirms its international stance in ‘support of the Ukrainian people’.

Alongside a strategy that leaves the door open to dialogue with the government and the ruling coalition on the Budget Bill (among the proposals put forward by the CISL, for example, is support for levies on the ‘super-profits’ of banks and large industrial groups), Fumarola is not ruling out discussions with the opposition either. So much so that, after taking part in the latest national ‘Festa dell’Unità’ in Reggio Emilia, the secretary will attend this weekend’s ‘Pronti all’alternativa’ event organised by the PD’s ‘super-faction’ in support of Elly Schlein. There, she will engage in discussions with Vera Buonomo of the UIL General Secretariat and Christian Ferrari of the CGIL National Secretariat. This is a sign that, despite the rift with Landini, on certain fronts – starting with dialogue with Confindustria – the Triplice may still be able to go part of the way together.