Beach workers, “desperate” strike: 90% participation in Liguria, zero in Rimini

Beach workers, “desperate” strike: 90% participation in Liguria, zero in Rimini

A symbolic and desperate action, which however does not seem to have had the desired effect. The two-hour strike announced by the beach workers against the Meloni government did not go as the organizers had hoped. Sib-Confcommercio and Fiba-Confesercenti they had announced two hours of work abstention this morning. Even though these were the two hours of least influx, from 7:30 to 9:30 the demonstrations were held in a patchy manner.

How did the beach workers’ strike go?

It’s a war of numbers on the strike that led to the closure of beach umbrellas for two hours. The participation rates have varied along the coasts of the Boot. It ranges from 90% participation in Liguria (with peaks of unanimity in some municipalities of the West and East) to an almost total rejection of the strike in the Riviera Romagnola (in Rimini all the umbrellas were open). The protest seems to have taken root in Sardinia, on the Roman coast and in the Marche, where approximately half of the beach resorts have joined. Nothing has happened in the South, especially in Calabria.

Twiga does not join, Capalbio goes on strike

Due to force majeure the Twiga Beach did not join the initiative. As was easy to expect, the establishment whose partner is the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanché did not strike against the Meloni government. The Last Beach of Capalbio, temple of Roman radical chic, has instead kept its umbrellas closed.

Beach resorts, the divided acronyms

The beach workers’ strike had started off on an uphill slope, with the main trade associations being divided on the initiative. Sib-Confcommercio and Fiba-Confesercenti had called the strike, from which instead acronyms such as Assobalneari, Federbalneari and Cna they had walked away, declaring that they did not want to penalize consumers in the middle of the summer season.

Codacons against the organizers: “The strike is a flop”

The organizers of the initiative are shouting success. For the Italian Federation of Beach Businesses, participation was 80 percent. The chorus, however, differs Codaconsstrongly opposed to the initiative, which speaks of a “flop strike”. In a press release, the consumers’ association speaks of a participation “below expectations, for a protest that did not achieve the desired objectives”.

The limbo of the beach resorts, betrayed by the Meloni government

Today’s strike is just the latest act in the never-ending game of concessions. The beach workers are protesting against the ban and against a limbo started by Bolkestein directive of 2006. The concessions formally expired on December 31st. And the beaches should be reassigned, as decided by the Draghi government’s competition law, which however has not yet been implemented. The stalemate has been increased by the Meloni government, which the beach operators accuse of betrayal. During her election campaign, Meloni had promised to save the current concessionaires, but since she has been at Palazzo Chigi she has done nothing. Not even approving the implementing decree planned by Draghi to have national rules on tenders. In the meantime, in November the EU sent a reasoned opinion to start the infringement against Italy.