The struggle against unemployment in Italy developed in a rather different way from that in the rest of Europe. For a start the increase in unemployment was much lower than in other countries. This was partly because at the beginning of the present economic crisis the rate of unemployment was higher than in other countries, and partly because the bosses' immediate attack was to cut wages in relation to the cost of living rather than a drive to cut jobs. At the beginning of the latest crisis, therefore, unemployment didn't appear to the workers as their chief problem.
Multinationals During last autumn and winter, however, the offensive was stepped up by the multinationals - this attack being part of their strategy of withdrawing their investment. The Innocenti-Leyland lay-offs, which were widely reported in Britain, were part of this offensive. Imperial Typewriters also started lay-offs, and so did Harris-Moda, the textiles and clothes firm.
The general answer of the workers to this attack was to occupy the factories. Innocenti-Leyland was occupied from November to the beginning of March. In Harris-Moda, which has 70 per cent women workers, the factory was occupied for a year.
In the train of this offensive by the multinationals there followed a series of lay-offs and closures in smaller Italian firms - paraculariy in textiles and food. These were also met with occupations.
Innocenti The outcome of the struggles has been rather uneven, however - largely because the Communist Party's programme rejects nationalisations and therefore doesn't give any clear goal for the workers' struggle. Thus the Innocenti struggle didn't end in the massive victory that could have been achieved. After months of struggle factory is to stay open with a complete change in production - for example, producing motorcycles - but while most of the jobs were saved, several hundred were lost Where the struggle in Italy has developed most significantly, however, is in the organisation of the unemployed. In Naples, for example, 10,000 unemployed workers are organised. This started in 1972 when unemployment was running at over 10 per cent. Committees were set up to apply pressure on the labour exchanges, whieh were controlled by the Christian Democrats.
In Naples the latter ate real gangsters, and they used these exchanges for electoral purposes - saying that they would give you a job if you and your family voted for the Christian Democrats. The job allocation was totally discriminatory, and jobs WCIC ICYCE HIYCH LO LIC WOrKOrS who most needed them.
Allocate The committees set up by the unemployed workers organised to ensure that the jobs were given to the people who most urgently needed them, and they were supported in this by the unions in the exchanges. At each exchange the committee compiles its own list of the unemployed, how long each person has been out of work, the size of the family and so on. Every month the committees allocate the available jobs according to who has been unemployed longest, has the largest family, etc. They also call demonstrations and other activities. This type of organisation is now spreading to Milan, Turin and other cities.
The next spread of the struggle came in 1973 when the city, under pressure from the unions and unemployed, created a limited public works scheme - doing useless jobs, of course. The workers formed elected committees within this scheme, whose first struggle was to oppose a move by the regional 4600. IN LOTTA in jobs was built. Recognition the labour exchanges and in the ments of the unemployed in the with the employed workers.
the unemployed to take up their ed in this struggle and now call more than 10,000 members. _ Red Weekly 17 June 1976 Italy / Angola 11