Anti-trade union campaign ends in failure for the Lega Nord
Published: 27 September 1997
The northern Italian separatist party, the Lega Nord, called on workers to publicly tear up their Cgil, Cisl and Uil membership cards, on 6 September 1997, and to sign up to the Lega's trade union, Sindacato Padano (SinPa). However, workers failed to turn out and specially prepared kiosks were left empty and unused.
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The northern Italian separatist party, the Lega Nord, called on workers to publicly tear up their Cgil, Cisl and Uil membership cards, on 6 September 1997, and to sign up to the Lega's trade union, Sindacato Padano (SinPa). However, workers failed to turn out and specially prepared kiosks were left empty and unused.
Lega Nord, the Northern party which calls for independence and the separation of what it refers to as the "Padania" region in the North of Italy from the rest of the country, recently stepped up its campaign against the three main trade union confederations, Cgil, Cisl and Uil by carrying out a series of controversial actions clearly aimed to provoke (IT9708124N).
The aim of the Lega Nord campaign against the union confederations is to entice members of Cgil, Cisl and Uil from their respective trade unions and to join the new Lega trade union, Sindacato Padano (SinPa).
Lega Nord had chosen 6 September 1997 as the day for a "triumphal" offensive, to gather together the renounced Cgil, Cisl and Uil membership cards and the new subscriptions to SinPa in thousands of specially prepared kiosks. According to commentators on the event, however, the day ended in failure, above all in Milan and Venice.
The Lega leader, Umberto Bossi, was forced to recognise the failure of the 6 September anti-trade union initiative: "There has been a good reaction, crowds in Bergamo and Brescia, though fewer in Milan. This is an ongoing process though, not a heroic act" (quoted in Il Giornale on 7 September).
The campaign had already showed signs of weakness in its preparatory stages due to the Lega's growing isolation in public opinion. A fairly serious incident occurred for example, on 31 July, which provoked enormous indignation. This incident involved the public burning of several of the three confederations' membership cards together with cardboard cut-outs of the trade union leaders. The act was condemned both by the political parties and employers, leading the Confindustria employers' confederation to make an official condemnation of the incident.
Cgil, Cisl and Uil were naturally very satisfied by the failure of the campaign. According to the general secretary of Cisl, Sergio D'Antoni: "This campaign was led by the Padano trade union and it has failed. Just as well."
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (1997), Anti-trade union campaign ends in failure for the Lega Nord, article.
