Colosseum and museums, we change. After yet another case that broke out yesterday morning with the closure for three hours of the Colosseum, Fori, Cripta Balbi and Ostia Antica for a union meeting, with long queues and inconvenience for tourists and visitors, the government approved yesterday evening, Friday, the decree law with which museums and places of art are treated as public services. In other words, museums such as hospitals, transport, schools: from now on, assemblies and strikes must be communicated in advance and essential services must be guaranteed.
The text consists of a single article and clarifies that the opening of museums and places of culture to the public is one of the public services governed by law 146 of 1990 on exercising the right to strike in essential public services. “The legislative intervention has become necessary and urgent – explains the Palazzo Chigi press release – in the light of the repeated occurrence of episodes that have prevented the continuity of the public service of fruition of the historic and artistic heritage of the nation. An initiative that was also hoped for by the Commission for guaranteeing the implementation of the law on strikes in essential public services”.
The provision had been announced by the Minister of Cultural Heritage Dario Franceschini and by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. “We will not leave the culture hostage of those trade unionists against Italy. Today decree law #colosseo #lavoltabuona ”, wrote the head of government on Twitter commenting on what happened in the capital.
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
