Dear rents, Landini from the students of the state in protest: “CGIL shares your battle”. Four contest it: “Enough catwalks”

“If we are here to protest with tents, it is because of the peace you have imposed”. This is how Maurizio Landini, secretary general of the CGIL, is welcomed by some students at the Milan State University where he went after the demonstration at the Arco della Pace to show solidarity with the union and talk about high rents. Landini met the young people who have been camping in front of the University in via Festa del Perdono for a few days – who continue after the protest of Ilaria Lamera who was the first to pitch a tent in front of the Polytechnic – speaking of a “common battle” with the young people for the right to study, even off-site. But his face to face with those who demonstrated peacefully and were interested in dialogue was interrupted by 4 protesters linked to the student list “Change course” who accused him of “deceiving the workers” and “making catwalks”.

After a brief discussion with the latter too, the secretary said that “we need to broaden the protest”. But, he added, “the counterpart is not us in the union but the government”.

“I’m not worried” by this small objection, “they do well to be angry” but “they should understand that the union comes here to support them, it’s the government that doesn’t do it”, explained Landini. “If they continue like this, they won’t go anywhere, also because it doesn’t seem to me that they have a particular consensus”. According to Landini, in order to address the issue of high prices, it is necessary “to bring together all those who think this battle is just”. After that “I am more than convinced that I was right to come here, if they want to discuss, I am ready to do so”.

Landini had in fact dedicated a large part of his speech to this morning’s demonstration by the united trade unions (Cgil, Cisl and Uil) precisely to young people: “I came to the state road because I was in Milan to demonstrate for them too, also to support their battle” , has explained. “Perhaps I should have come earlier,” admitted the secretary. “Like CGIL – he finally promised – we will open ourselves even more to the relationship with students and to social discussion because there is a need to unite what risks being divided. I think we are doing the right thing.”