A new awareness campaign by the Uil regional secretariat for the Calabria dispute. The first initiative was held on board a regional train along the Ionian railway line, which starts from Reggio Calabria and arrives in Catanzaro. The departure from the central station of the city of the Strait took place at 1.08pm, the arrival at 2.41pm in Roccella Jonica. The Uil delegation was led by the Calabrian general secretary Mariaelena Senese.
“Uil Calabria – declared the Sienese secretariat – is ready to relaunch the Calabria dispute with determination, a battle that our general secretary, Pierpaolo Bombardieri, has repeatedly referred to as urgent and necessary. Since 2021, when we mobilized opinion public in the square of Siderno together with the leaders of the confederal trade union organizations, the critical issues of our territory have remained at the center of our agenda”.
To renew attention on these crucial issues, Uil Calabria has decided to start a series of traveling secretarial meetings. “The objective is to turn the spotlight back on the delays and most pressing needs of Calabria – added Senese – by listening directly to our fellow citizens. Our initiative began by addressing the infrastructural issue, a chronic problem for the our region, starting on board one of the many regional trains that serve commuters along the Ionian railway route. This symbolic journey started from Reggio Calabria, on double track and with an electrified network, and then continued on a single lane and without electrification from Melito. Porto Salvo towards Roccella jonica”.
During the trip, Uil trade unionists listened to commuters, collecting their opinions on the state of the infrastructure and the proposals for necessary corrective measures. This initiative will be replicated in other areas, to cover all the issues that fuel the Calabria dispute, expanding to the sectors of competence of the members of the secretariat and the trade union categories.
“We commuters experience great daily inconvenience. I travel every day because I teach in a school in Reggio Calabria. Two trains have been canceled in the morning and this has meant that the only one that travels towards Reggio, at 7.01, is always packed, a train with two carriages. Furthermore, the works between Melito and Pellaro, a single track with works that are continuing beyond the date, lead to a delay in arriving in Reggio. It usually takes 22 minutes to travel from Melito to Reggio, but by train returning at 4.38pm, it takes 44 minutes with a stop of 15 minutes or more in Pellaro”.
“Today is a good day, with a new train, usually there are old ones and if it suits us we don't have to get off and take the one that arrives later. I travel every day from Bianco. An hour and twenty minutes of travel if everything is fine. I travel for work and I have to leave early because otherwise I would arrive home after 9pm. And what about the students with the train at 1.08pm practically all those who request this route have to leave early otherwise they would return home late in the afternoon” .