Workers at Italian state-owned
shipyard Fincantieri went on strike Tuesday over a supplementary
contract that unions said would include microchips in worker
boots.
Fincantieri clarified that it wanted to integrate
audiovisual technologies to increase the safety of the workers,
not to monitor them from a distance.
Unrest was particularly acute at Fincantieri in Liguria, a
coastal region in northwestern Italy. Strikes have plagued the
Riva Trigoso shipyard in Genoa and Muggiano shipyard in La
Spezia.
A surprise one-hour strike Tuesday in La Spezia was also
protesting a decision to sell a dry dock used by the shipyard
for fear of job losses. The decision to cede the dry dock was
made by a consortium guided by the provincial government.
Two hours of strikes protesting the supplemental contract
are also planned for today in the Sestri Ponente shipyard near
Genoa; and another is planned for March 31.
Strikes on rotation are also being held today at the
Marghera shipyard near Venice.
Worker agitation comes as a crucial deadline looms next
week to deliver a ship - the Viking Star.
"They want to make (workers) work for free for a half hour
everyday and they want to put a microchip in the work boots.
They are also asking us to give a gift of 104 hours of work for
ex-holidays," the unions said.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
