Trade unions march against unemployment in Italy

Scores of protesters, under the banner of 'A Future for Work', took to the streets here on Saturday to protest against unemployment in the economy.

"There are structural knots in Italy that this government is not dealing with, unfortunately, like previous governments," Maurizio Landini, the head of the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) told Deutsche Welle.

Protesters, gathered together by a host of trade unions, demonstrated against the current Italian government's move to provide the poor section of Italians with a basic income, labelling the step as "misguided" and insufficient".

"If someone governs this country and yet goes as a friend to protesters in another, to them we say if you have a shred of intelligence listen to us in this square: we are the change," Landini further remarked, while referring to the Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Luigi Di Maio's recent meeting with the French Yellow Vest protesters.

The labour union also slammed the Italian government for failing to fight corrupt practices, climate change, sexism and racism in the country.

Unemployment rates in Italy currently stand at 9.7 per cent - a figure which is the third-highest in the European Union, after Greece and Spain.

Youth unemployment, on the other hand, fares worse as 16.7 per cent of Italy's young people were without jobs in 2017.