(by Massimiliano D'Elia) The street vendors of Italy are fed up and want to defend their work without ifs and buts. Many associations were born spontaneously throughout the country. But the absolute novelty is the ANA - National Ambulant Association born last May, branched out throughout the national fabric, is implementing a unique federative policy in the sector. Many members and all together organized a high-impact event today with the other associations in the country. The strategy has changed. From a simple demonstration in the square, they have moved on to demonstrate with their own means of work on the street and make their voices heard to everyone, even to citizens who do not know their drama. Walking licenses are safe until December 2018, after that date they will be publicly announced at "European" level. A tragedy because in our neighborhood markets we could find a French, German, Belgian etc, etc .. We would lose the value of the local market created by the people and for the “Italian” people. It is not nationalism but pure reality.
And then thousands of vans that from all over Italy have invaded the capital today to protest against the Bolkestein Directive and above all on the pond that the current government has created. It was limited only to extending the license ban to December 2018.
No concrete action has been made, however, with the European Commission to explain that Italian markets are a specificity to preserve. They are a unique social resource. I'm good for the Italians they could not do without. The historical and cultural tradition of a country can not be deleted "tout court" from a Community Directive. High standard for standard trade but not attached to our neighborhood markets and fairs.
There was a large number of protesters in front of the Chamber of Deputies at Piazza Montecitorio against Bolkestein, with an overwhelming garrison.
https://youtu.be/2eKV5jCAz6s
We are seeing, impotent, a real expropriation of our business. Will the Italians, those who work and have their sole source of income in these activities be banned for whom? We do not know who, perhaps industrial groups, corporations, but also social cushions for new immigrants and non-EU migrants. The low qualification that does not allow us to do this kind of work, to find ourselves competing in our squares. Competition they are already doing abusively, without titles and without licenses, "he explains Vittorio Baglioni, Provincial Secretary Cisl AMBULANTI Rome and coordinator and spokesman for other associations, including Upvad, Uiltucs, Asci Confimprese, Aiarc. "Ours is an appeal to the government and the institutions. As you can see, here is not a political flag or union flag. The government and institutions should pull us out as they did for other production categories under the Bolkestein directive. How? With an 7 article change. The article 7 is the one that lists the categories that do not enter the Services Directive and strangely we find corporate categories: pharmacies, notaries. They also do services. Why are not they in Bolkestein and we are there? Perhaps because we are small entrepreneurs. We hope the government will meet us.
So the National Walking Association (Ana): "Walkers across Italy - explain in a note the national secretary of the Anna Marrigo Rosato and national president Vincenzo Caiazzo - they have been mobilized today throughout Italy to defend their work and their future. Markets and fairs are an integral part of the culture and history of our country. They are immaterial cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO. We are fighting today to defend this from the Bolkestein directive and ask for government and politics the cautious warning cry of those who peacefully manifest their own reasons with the sole aim of not dying of Bolkestein. "
"With three hundred vans this morning we are slowing down traffic in Rome to reiterate to the government that pedestrians must be out of the Bolkestein directive as is the case in other European countries." She explains it Angelo Pavoncello, Vice President of the National Walking Association (Ana). "Today there are scheduled events in various cities and over 1500 vans 'mobilized' all over Italy - adds Pavoncello - in Rome we have a garrison in front of Montecitorio. We are waiting for a call from the government to calm the industry. "
So in a note the ANA women: 'We are humiliating', 'How do we take our children?'. These are the signs displayed by pink portion of the ambulances, down in piazza Montecitorio against the Bolkestein directive. All workers of the committee 'We women do not give up', girls and mothers and wives of all ages who, they comment 'we will defend to the bitter end the bread to bring home for the children and the family. And we will be here to the bitter end because we will not allow to make 12mila licenses in Rome and 196mila in Italy. Hands off our work, our dignity and the markets ".
https://youtu.be/Fn51h6wrFio
From all over Italy the events:
https://youtu.be/S0R7wll7b7E
https://youtu.be/hg-Z28i9QlE
The senator is also in the square Maurizio Gasparri. "The positions are known. When we saw it months ago, the Government had made promises of default. I went today for this further protest. The position advocating Forza Italia, says Gasparri, is to renegotiate Bolkestein because street trading can not be massacred. We will continue to focus on this goal. This sector no longer has to be hit.
We hope to win this battle for work. " The Honorable Stefano Fassina at Piazza Montecitorio said that: "The game is not closed. We discussed a few weeks ago with the government. We must now clearly say the goal: out of AMAZING from the Bolkestein directive. It is still possible to arrive at a clear measure. We will be down to the end, as long as the target is reached. "
The appeal also came from Fabio Rampelli of Brothers of Italy: "Let us call on Gentiloni and Minister Calenda to protect the work of the Italians. This is the last possible appeal. This directive can not be applied because it would put hundreds of families on the pile. "
"I went out to greet the AMBULANTI friends. I have made several bills in these 5 years to demand the exclusion of the AMBULANTS category from the Bolkestein directive, "he says. Ivan the Valley of the 5 stars movement in the square in Montecitorio on the occasion of the protest of the AMBULANTI. "In the 2010 the government was totally wrong because it included the AMBULANTS in this directive. All other countries in Europe did not include this category within the directive. Bolkestein - he continues - does not talk about trade on public area, but it says that the licenses given to those who exploit a limited natural resource must be put to the competition. Public land is not a limited natural resource, in fact no other country in Europe has included AMBULANTS. This is why we ask for the exclusion. The government led by Pd, however, continues to not feel and continues to favor other categories, such as large retailers ".
As had already happened, all animated by good intentions. We hope that the next government will not be overwhelmed and definitively resolve the story that has serious implications for hundreds of thousands of operators for a not-insignificant percentage of GDP.