Trade union responses to racism in Italy's shipbuilding and metalworking industries

Abstract

Since 1973 Italy has become a nation of growing immigration: its economy has come to rely on immigrants as low-cost workers with extremely limited rights. The diffusion of racism, both institutional and ‘popular’, has much to do with this. Immigrant workers and populations cannot accept this situation as their destiny. They are making egalitarian, anti-racist demands through their self-organisation and increasing unionisation. The response of Italian unions has been contradictory. They have been slow in recognising the very existence of discrimination, racism and xenophobia, and are not doing everything they should and could do to defend immigrant workers and to promote their participation in trade union activities. The cases of Fincantieri, FIAT and Electrolux are emblematic.