Thousands of public sector and transport workers went on strike in Italy on Friday to protest a union call against the 2024 budget prepared by the ultra-conservative government led by Giorgia Maloney, AFP and Agerpres reported.

Maloney and his government have been accused by strikers of using limited resources available in the 2024 budget to “hunt” voters ahead of next year’s European elections, to the detriment of working people and pensioners.

“Melons, the people are hungry,” read one of the placards of demonstrators who gathered in the Piazza del Popolo in central Rome.

Thousands of people also marched through the streets of Genoa and Milan.

Who is participating in the strike?

The protest was sparked by two of Italy’s three main trade union confederations, CGIL and UIL, which accused the government of diverting resources from key sectors such as health, education and industry.

Teachers, health workers, taxi drivers and postal workers were called for an eight-hour strike across the country, while some sectors of the private sector, such as metal workers or traders, were called to strike in central Italy.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who is also transport minister, imposed restrictions to ease transport problems by halving the duration of the strike in the sector and excluding the aviation sector; CGIL Secretary General Maurizio Landini accused Salvini of “attacking the right to strike”.

In the end, CGIL hailed in a statement “strong participation” in the protest with “peaks of almost 100%” in some ports, 80% in logistics and 70% in rail transport, while the League, Salvini’s formation, called for “weak participation, especially in the transport sector “.

The promotion is expected to last for five days depending on the region.