From Financial Times 12.12.62
After a few wecks ' respite , Italy is facing another wave of stikuse Italian journalists, store employees and, oncs again, the metal employees are going on strike. The thre. metal workers' unions have called an initial 48hour strike for tomorrow and Thurs¢ay. The negotiations between the unions and the Genoral Confederation of Industry which were resumed last month have now broken down a.ain.
The governmont-controlled motal companics with a labour force of 180,000 will not be affected by the strike. They do not adhere to the General Confederation of Industry, and their own organisation, Intersind, has reached an agreonent in principal with the unions, A further 300 motal companics including the Fiat iotor Company and the Olivetti typewriter company, even though they do not belong to the General Confefleration of Industry, will be unaffected as they have subscribed to separate undertakings with the unions. The motel workers, who will resume thoir strike tomorrow, total about 750,000, The netal workers started thoir agitation last June. A union spokesman stated today that the three main points on which negotiations with the General Confederation have broken down ave uniairights in the factories, the General Federations demands that wage increases to be granted should take into account increases granted in the last two years by individual companios and the rejection by the Confedsration of tho Unions! claim for shorter working hours and higher wages.
Chain store and supomarkot employces are demanding a 10% wage incroaso for all personnel except messengers, drivers, manual workers and administrative staff, for whom a 20% increase is being demandcd. All the unions are backing the claims and an initial 24 hours strike has been called for Saturday. Tho date of the journals —ists' strike has not yet bewun set, but an cight day strike has bevn decided upon by the Union,