Could a strike halt even more strikes?

 

By Chris Buonincontri 

ROME, Dec. 4 – Throughout the city, Romans have begun to organize "un gran sciopero", a strike to protest the sting of recent (and future) strikes, organizers reported over the weekend.

Tentatively named "Operation: Ferma Lo Sciopero,” the strike is currently set for next Friday at 2:00 a.m., the same day as the planned transit strike, university enrollment strike, senior hair stylist strike, knock-off street vendor strike and “cornetto con crema” strike.

“We are fed up!,” exclaimed unemployed local Guido Gasparelli as he emphatically stomped his right foot and puffed on a cigarette. “And this time, we won’t stop until we get what we want!”

Asked exactly what it was that he wanted, Guido responded: “Well, I’m not sure. But just look around—it sure as hell isn’t what we have now!”

Minor setbacks delayed strike preparations when protesters were met with confrontation upon trying to pull down the posters of the strikes they were protesting. Both sides argued that they had a right to protest whatever they wanted. It ended in a brief skirmish.

In response to these anti-strike activities, other strikers have begun preliminary planning of a walk-out of their own, protesting the strike against their own strikes. “We have a right to strike and we will,” said hairstylist Paola Francese. “They can do what they want, but we will protest the protest of our protests for as long as we need to!”

We at The Matthew Online are sympathetic to, and even admire the spirit of protest in Italy. But when strikes strike every few weeks, we have little choice but to take a bemused view of the angry words and crushing halt to daily life. Sometimes, a satirical view is just the antidote to prevent us from taking to the streets and protesting.