Italian Cultural Workers Strike Nationwide on June 12

On June 12, workers employed by Italy's Ministry of Culture and the Federculture network staged the sector's first nationwide strike. The action was coordinated by unions including Fp Cgil, Nidil Cgil, Cub, Adl Cobas, Cobas Lavoro Privato, Clap and Usi Ct&S.

The unions demand full professional and economic recognition for cultural workers, seeking sector‑wide collective contracts, the reinternalisation of outsourced services, an end to precarious contracts, a substantial hiring plan, and a continuity income for intermittent professions. They also call for strict health‑and‑safety enforcement for atypical contracts and protest recent cuts to cultural funding, accusing the government of diverting resources to rearmament.

Union leaders Giordana Pallone (Fp Cgil) and Roberta Turi (Nidil Cgil) stressed that the strike reflects years of under‑investment and fragmented, insecure employment in the cultural sector, and urged the state to respect and finance those who create and preserve culture.