Posted on 01/24/2012 8:53:51 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
MILAN – Striking HGV drivers are starting to make their presence felt on mainland Italy and the country is effectively split in two. What is known as the “Pitchfork Movement” is protesting at the rising cost of diesel fuel, motorway tolls and income tax.
GOVERNMENT – Interior minister Annamaria Cancellieri, speaking on the Radio Uno early morning show “Prima di Tutto”, reassured listeners that the government is monitoring the drivers’ protest “with great attention” because “there is nothing to prevent this discontent leading to other kinds of demonstration”. On Tuesday, Ms Cancellieri will report to the Senate on the consequences of the HGV drivers’ blockade in Sicily.
LAZIO – Many motorway junctions in Lazio and Campania have been blockaded. Large groups of drivers are blocking slip roads onto the A1 motorway at Cassino, Frosinone, Ferentino, Caianello and Anagni. From Monday evening, they are only allowing motorists through. The Frosinone and Anagni tollbooths have been closed. Meanwhile the link roads for Rome east, north and south are being patrolled by motorway police officers, who are monitoring heavy goods vehicles and taxis.
CAMPANIA – Late on Sunday evening, there were reports of HGVs parked up at A1 motorway toll booths on the section from Rome to Naples and San Vittore. A number of vehicles are parked across the carriageway, blocking traffic. The CIS-Viaggiare informati traffic service says that tailbacks several kilometres long have formed between Caserta and Naples in both directions. Blocks were also reported on the A3 Salerno-Reggio Calabria and A30 Caserta-Salerno motorways. About 60 blockades are in place up and down Italy.
SOCIAL CENTRES – Protesting drivers at the Caserta Sud, Capua and Santa Maria Capua Vetere junctions, who went into action at 10.30 pm, were joined by volunteers from social centres in the Caserta area.
PUGLIA – There have been serious disruptions on the Bari ring road (E55) since the early hours of the morning. The Poggiofranco interchange at the entrance to the A14 motorway and SS 100 highway for Gioa del Colle is blocked by heavy good vehicles parked strategically across both carriageways. Tailbacks are also reported on the SS 106 highway at Marina Di Gioiosa Jonica.
SICILY – Last week’s five-day blockade failed to resolve the situation. CIS reports blockades are possible at the Partinico, Salemi, Santa Ninfa and Castelvetrano junctions on the A29 Palermo-Mazara Del Vallo motorway.
PIEDMONT – In Turin, the movement is blocking the junction of the A4 motorway to Milan and Venice, where one carriageway has been left clear for motorists. The turn-off for the HGV inspection centre on the ring road has been blocked and drivers are believed to be organising a similar blockade at the freight centre turn-off. Tailbacks have been reported at Asti on the Turin-Venice motorway.
BERGAMO – The key part of the A4 motorway is the province of Bergamo. Since early morning, junctions at Bergamo have been blocked as about 70 juggernauts park across both carriageways. Only one lane is clear at Capriate, Seriate and Dalmine. Traffic has ground to a virtual standstill and only a few vehicles are guaranteed access.
SARDINIA – Traffic is expected to be blocked from Tuesday on all the island’s roads. Andrea Impera, spokesman for Sulcis small businesses, said: “Our revolt is against incompetent institutions that are incapable of giving any answers”.
OTHER REGIONS – As drivers have announced, the strike will carry on for five days. At Bologna San Lazzaro, the start of the Adriatica motorway for the south, access to tollbooths from the ring road, which runs alongside, is being seriously affected by HGVs. The Forlì junction is closed in both directions and there are further difficulties at Sasso Marconi. Other blockades have been confirmed, particularly in Abruzzo at the Città Sant’Angelo-Pescara Nord junction, and in Marche. Demonstrators have been reported at Val di Sangro. At Genoa, there are serious hold-ups where the A7 Genoa-Milan and A10 Genoa-Ventimiglia motorways merge. Traffic is slow on the Florence-Pisa-Livorno expressway at Montecatini.
MASSIVE SUPPORT – According to the Trasportounito organisation, support for the national HGV drivers’ action is “outstripping all expectations”. General secretary Maurizio Longo issued a note to underline that support “is showing how serious the current crisis is. As an autonomous, independent organisation, Trasportounito is interpreting a genuine, tangible unease on the part of businesses and the families of the many heavy goods vehicle drivers who are struggling to survive”.
TAXIS AND PHARMACIES – The liberalisation programme drawn up by the Monti government has provoked protests from a number of other sectors. Monday is also the day of the strike by taxi drivers, who will turn off their meters for 14 hours from 8 am to 10 pm. On Friday, railway workers are set to down tools and pharmacies have announced that they will remain closed on 1 February. The dates of the ten-day strike by filling stations remain to be fixed.
MEETING – The attention of the pitchfork protesters is focused on Wednesday, when the prime minister will meet the chair of the Sicilian regional authority, Raffaele Lombardo, in Rome. On Wednesday, HGV drivers could also call a general strike.
I hate that term “HGV” (heavy goods vehicles). They’re tractor-trailers. They always want to rewrite the language. Oh well . . . the EU is getting what they want; an escalation of their “beneficial crisis”.
Sotto la Pari Tutto
Strikes in Italy only last a day.
Every single time i went there the pilots went on strike and we ended up stuck in rome.
Here in Sicily all the strikers went home on Sunday and it has been business as usual since then. The local scuttlebutt has it that the Mafia called a halt to things as it was getting bad for business.
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