In a Rome preparing for the Conclave, Italy’s trade unions led a May Day of unity, rights and music — a moment of powerful collective voice.
A day of celebration, engagement and music brought Rome alive on International Workers’ Day. Made even more special this year as this is a particularly significant time for the city: after the final salute to Pope Francis this week, Rome is in fact gearing up to host the Conclave, scheduled to take part in less than a week from now. In a Jubilee Year that has already brought thousands of worshippers and tourists from all over the world to Rome, May Day is part of a programme that is attracting great media attention and public participation.
The Union March
The celebrations began in the late morning with the union march organised by the Trade Unions, starting in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and ending in the Fori Imperiali. Among the prominent figures present at the event were Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor of Rome, and Elly Schlein, leader of the Democratic Party (PD), both of whom took part in the march and expressed their support for workers’ rights and social justice.
Maurizio Landini, secretary general of the CGIL: If there are rights in our country, no one gave them to us as a gift, they exist thanks to the struggles and battles of workers and the trade union movement. And I say this because, of course, May 1st is a celebration, but if we look at what is happening, at the real living and working conditions people face today, one might think there is little to celebrate. When we consider the levels of job insecurity that have developed, the levels of poverty, and above all the fact that people continue to die and get injured at work, all of this leads us to say that yes, today is a holiday, but it is also time to mobilize to change this situation and to no longer accept this reality.
Who made the laws on contracting, subcontracting, and chain subcontracting? So let me say this very clearly: we have demands that cost nothing. If you repeal the subcontracting law, it doesn’t cost a thing. If you repeal the law on precarious work, it doesn’t cost a thing. All it takes is the political will to put people, work, the quality of work, and personal freedom back at the center and not profit.
Workers’ delegates and the secretaries general of the CISL and UIL Lazio took to the stage and spoke. The last to talk was the secretary general of the CGIL, Maurizio Landini, who emphasised the importance of stable, safe, dignified jobs, highlighting the deep significance of May Day and inviting all to take part in the referendum on 8 and 9 June.
The Concert
The afternoon saw the traditional Concert back in its historic venue of Piazza San Giovanni, after last year’s performance had to be held in Circo Massimo. Presented by Noemi, Ermal Meta and Big Mama, the event featured performances by some of the most representative names in Italian music: from Brunori Sas and Lucio Corsi, following their success at Sanremo Music Festival, to the pop style of Achille Lauro, Alfa, Elodie, Giorgia, and many more.
A huge event that brought together music and social engagement as a sign of worker solidarity and rights.
For more information: https://www.collettiva.it/
