by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interview: Giulia Massolino, councillor for the FVG civil autonomy pact
A large majority of Trieste’s municipal education workers went on strike Monday, October 27, to protest the city’s organizational decisions regarding childcare and educational services. According to union representatives from Cisl and Cgil Fp, between 70 and 80 percent of staff across nurseries, preschools, youth centers, and educational support programs participated in the work stoppage.
Roughly 200 demonstrators, most of them women, gathered in front of City Hall to voice their concerns. The strike involved teachers, assistants, and support staff from municipal nurseries, preschools, after-school centers (ricreatori), SIS programs, and the city’s “Area Giovani” youth project.
At the heart of the protest lies discontent over a recent municipal hiring notice for 16 permanent support educators in city preschools. The new positions, unions argue, are limited by part-time contracts lasting only 11 months, a condition they see as undermining job stability and the quality of educational services.
The demonstration also highlighted broader concerns about the gradual outsourcing of municipal childcare and early education services. One focal point of contention is the Roiano nursery, a new facility that has remained closed for over a year and a half. Initially, the city administration had proposed granting its management to private operators, with half of its spaces reserved for public use — a plan that sparked significant political tension. The proposal has since been abandoned in favor of contracting the service out to third parties, a solution that has not appeased staff or unions.
Union representatives called for a re-evaluation of the city’s approach to managing public education services, stressing the need for stable employment and the preservation of municipal oversight in early childhood education.
Municipal officials have not yet issued a formal statement responding to Monday’s demonstration.
