Pharmacies, employees protest in Rome: "Humiliated, we want decent salaries"

Also in the Capital, a 4-hour strike by workers who are on a war footing for the renewal of the contract at a standstill

White coats, signs and flags. Pharmacy workers from Rome and Lazio in the square in Rome for the first protest and the first strike in the Capital . “A paternalistic allowance from Federfarma towards pharmacy workers, it is a disgrace and we feel humiliated. This is why we are in the square in Rome today”, say the unions of pharmacy workers protesting in Rome under the headquarters of Federfarma in Piazza San Giovanni.

Also today in the Capital a 4-hour strike is planned by workers who are on a war footing for the renewal of the contract at a standstill: at the base of the protest is the position of Federfarma which "has confirmed the proposal of an overall salary increase of only 120 euros for the next three years", judged "inadequate and unacceptable" by the trade unions.

A delegation of union delegates present in the square was received by Federfarma. "Today is a very important day - the general secretary of the Cgil of Rome and Lazio, Natale Di Cola, told Adnkronos Salute - it is the first strike of pharmacists who are in the square to ask for a fair renewal of the contract and a fair salary. They are professionals who are asked for high training and great competence. They are attentive to the service and to people but they want recognition of their rights".

According to Claudia Delfini, an official of the Fisascat Cisl Roma Capitale union, "the problem is also regulating the pharmacy of services, let's say that it is a sector that has not experienced the crisis of the Covid pandemic, on the contrary. Pharmacies have had an exponential growth in turnover, now giving something back to those who contributed to that growth I think is right".

Many young people in the square complain about the grueling hours, the lack of security during the night hours, the fact that "there is no cash allowance", specifies a pharmacist of a large chain that operates south of the capital. "Many do not know that we take as much as a store manager of a clothing chain, even after many years of service", admits a pharmacist.