MORE THAN 2,000 workers' delegates met in the Linico Theatre in Milan on 6 April to endorse a call for a national assembly of factory councils Tiont lor trade union democracy, meeting is part or a rowing oposition to the unice latest round of Government austerity measures, Communist Party militants wishing to oppose the national line of their party are closing the unions as the arena for their tightback.
A few months ago defence of the "sliding scale was a touchstone of Italian trade unionism. This system of index-linked wage rises is far from perfect The price index by which the rises are calculated is controlled by the Government, not the workers organisations themselves, the deiny in payments after the prise rises take place toeans that pay packets still las 1CTRI0D.
But, even wben Prime Minister package last Octaber, inton leaders were makIs 00 secret about their readiness 10 Austerity-monger Giulle Andreolli workers (which is true), Luciano Lama, general secrelary of the CGIL, Communist Party union, found himself "substamially in agreement with the Presisince his proposal is not very ditferent from the one which we have formulated THEn, On a NECO Is 290 union leaders announced that revision of the 'basker" by which the pay rises are calculated. This ruled transport, newspapers out of the index - 8 real wage cut in plain langunge.
The following day a group of union-Government deal was signed councils in Milan took up the cal for an assembly. More than 300 factory councils in the Milan area endorsed the appeal after discussion in the factory assemblies The appeal argued that the deal was a 'challenge to democracy and the class nature of the factory councils explained that: 'This is not an initiative against the unions but, on the contrary, a elecrricity and protest movement unions so tell them that the base metalworkers union, also stood