Rome city employees protested Tuesday
over alleged plans by mayor Ignazio Marino to slash their
auxiliary pay.
Thousands of nursery school teachers, municipal police
officers, administrative staff and other employees gathered in
Piazza del Campidoglio, the seat of city government, to voice
their anger over the possible cuts announced in light of a
finance ministry report describing auxiliary wages as
'illegitimate'.
"It is not possible to cut salaries of 1,200 euros as this
would mean putting our survival in question," protesters said.
"Auxiliary wages? We are not paid irrespective of merit but
for services provided to this city," they continued.
However, Marino of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD)
defended his position, saying he had raised the issue at the
national level but that he could only act within the law.
"If the response (from the government) is positive I will
be very happy to include auxiliary wages in the May pay packet
according to law," continued the mayor.
"But no one, not even the trade unions, can ask me to go
against the law of the State".
On Tuesday Italy's three main trade union confederations,
CGIL, CISL and UIL, sent Marino an injunction inviting him to
refrain from "enacting the threatened unilateral initiatives and
all other actions aimed at unscrupulously affecting the legal
treatment and remuneration of workers".
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