The tourists who queued up to visit the Colosseum this morning found an apology sign and the closed gate. The symbolic monument of the Capital, but also Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, Baths of Diocletian and Ostia Antica were closed for three hours due to a union meeting of workers. The archaeological sites were opened around 11.30 as promised by the signs in Italian and English posted at the entrance.
However, the news of the assembly was not known and many tourists queued up to enter the Colosseum, only to be disappointed when they arrived in front of the entrance gate. The centurions warned the crowd and invited the tourists to return after 11. This morning's incident immediately sparked strong controversy, despite the Superintendence trying to minimize what happened: “It was not a question of closures but of delayed openings” – they specify – “The sites opened as expected at 11.30, including the Flavian Amphitheater”.
In reality, the closure of the archaeological sites in question had been brought forward yesterday, Thursday 17 September in a RSU note which explained the reasons for the union meeting: "Thethe non-payment of shift allowances and services for the extraordinary openings of places of culture (May XNUMXst, evening openings, etc.), after almost a calendar year of useless waiting.
The prime minister, Matteo Renzi, also spoke on the matter. “We will not leave the culture hostage of those trade unionists against Italy. Today decree law #Colosseo#lavoltabuona” he tweeted on Twitter.
We will not leave the culture hostage of those trade unionists against Italy. Today decree law #colosseum #the right time pic.twitter.com/D154PLS8L8
- Matteo Renzi (@matteorenzi) 18 September 2015
Before that, the Guarantor of the strikes Roberto Alesse had intervened commented: "The closure to visitors of the main archaeological sites of the capital this morning, motivated by a trade union meeting (moreover regularly convened), once again brings to the fore the urgency to include the use of cultural heritage among essential public services". The Guarantor's request was accepted by the Minister of Cultural Heritage Dario Franceschini who with a tweet announced the discussion of the topic, this afternoon, during the Council of Ministers: “Assembly at the Colosseum and tourists outside in line. The measure is complete: today in the Council of Ministers Museums are proposed as essential public services ".
The reply from Susanna Camusso called into question by the prime minister was not long in coming: “We are becoming a strange country, every time there is a trade union assembly they say that it cannot be done, that it has become something that is not possible. I understand that attention must be paid to periods of particular tourist presence, but then it must be clearly said that workers can no longer have tools of democracy". And on Minister Franceschini's proposal to include museums among essential public services, the leader of the CGIL comments: "This would not cancel out the possibility of holding strikes or assemblies".
Assembly at #Colosseum and tourists outside in line. The measure is complete: today in the Council of Ministers Museums are proposed as essential public services
- Dario Franceschini (@dariofrance) 18 September 2015
