Farewell to Guglielmo Epifani, former number one of the CGIL and former secretary of the Democratic Party who has moved to Leu in recent years. Epifani died at the age of 71 after a short illness.
Born in Rome in 1950 to parents of Campania, socialist origin, in 1979 he began his career as a trade union leader with the position of assistant general secretary of the category of polygraphic and paper workers. It was deputy of Bruno Trentin and Sergio Cofferati succeeding the latter in the role of general secretary of the trade union, first socialist to obtain the position he held until 2010. It was Epifani himself, in 2002, who announced the decision to the CGIL congress which then led to the million workers in the streets against the reform of Article 18 desired by the Berlusconi government.
In 2013 he ran for elections as leader of the Democratic Party, being elected deputy of the XVII Legislature.
"For the CGIL it is a serious lack, he gave his life to CGIL and the union", commented the CGIL leader Maurizio Landini. “It is dramatic news, which reached us during the meeting. It's a very sad day. We interrupted the meeting out of respect for the memory of Guglielmo Epifani. I express deep condolences from all Democrats to his wife. I remember the fundamental role he played as Pd leader, in a difficult moment ”, said the Pd secretary, Enrico Letta, in front of the Nazarene, together with the leaders of CGIL, Landini, Cisl, Sbarra and Uil, Bombardieri.
"I am deeply touched and saddened by the untimely death of Guglielmo Epifani with whom I have shared so many years of commitment, always admiring his intelligent participation and the correctness with which he interpreted his role in politics and in the union", he said Massimo D'Alema.
