Strike!

Taxi drivers are on strike in Italy, and have been blocking the main piazzas of Rome (with impunity) for the last few days. This comes about because of liberalizing changes Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has been trying to effect in some of Italy's most protected industries.



In the case of the taxis, he has proposed an increase - throughout Italy - of 500 licenses. Small fry, you might think, but the cabbies are highly protective of their turf, and any increase (the same proposition was made 10 years ago, and never went through due to legals battles) is fought passionately. They say it's a political vendetta, Prodi says it's a small step - along with other modest measures - in the right direction towards raising productivity, and cutting the fat out of the Italian economy.

Prodi is attempting to upheave other heavily entrenched industries, as well, including the pharmacies, lawyers, and public transportation. Proposals include selling over-the-counter drugs in supermarkets, abolishing minimum fees for professional and legal services, and privatizing the public transportation market. These are all positive changes, I think, but the difficulty of fighting these unions and industries will prove to be as big a challenge now as it has in the past. As the Italians say, Speriamo...

Rutelli, Prodi and Bersani are all liberal politicians. Franceso Rutelli is a former mayor of Rome, and poster boy for left-leaners. Romano Prodi, as mentioned is the recently-elected Prime Minister, and Pier Luigi Bersani is a former Communist Party member, and current Minister of Productive Assets in Prodi's Cabinet. They are being warned in this banner that Italian cabbies won't take it in the a**