Italy: Strike held over austerity measures and public sector pay freeze

Italy's largest trade union confederation called a general strike on 25 June 2010 in protest at the Government's emergency Budget, which includes major cuts in public spending and a three-year pay freeze in the public sector.

On 25 May 2010, the centre-right Government approved an emergency Budget designed to reduce the public deficit by €24 billion over 2010-12, cutting it from 5.3% of gross domestic product in 2009 to below 3% by 2011.