PHOTOS: The little Post Office in downtown St. Albert, where your blogger lives, which Canada Post is anxious to close as soon as possible. Below: The U.S. Post Office in Fallon, Montana, the Canadian Post Office in Dewberry, Alberta (villageofdewberry…
Continue readingTag: Italy
Parchment in the Fire: The Results of Italy’s 2012 Labour Market Reforms: No Solution to Unemployment
By Gabriele Piazza and Martin Myant of the European Trade Union Institute In June 2012 Italy introduced a package of labour-market reforms. One particularly controversial measure was a change to Article 18 of the 1970 Workers’ Statute which had given employees found to have been unfairly dismissed the right to reinstatement. From then on it was… More The Results of Italy’s 2012 Labour Market Reforms: No Solution to Unemployment
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Income, Class and Austerity in Southern Europe
Data from Southern Europe indicates a trend of wealth distribution to the top 20% of income earners since the onset of austerity. At the outset of the Global Financial Crisis in 2007, the income share of the bottom 20% of income earners in Greece and Portugal increased, whereas the income share of the top 20%… More Income, Class and Austerity in Southern Europe
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Next Up, Spain
As events unfold over the next few weeks following today’s No victory in Greece there’ll be plenty of people watching in Spain. That country’s Podemos movement promotes a similar sort of anti-austerity platform to that of Greece’s Syrzia. It’s hard to imagine today’s defiant events in Greece not having a
Continue readingThings Are Good: From Mafia Home to Art Gallery
Italy is home to the oldest operating museum, the Uffizi, and the country is (probably) home to the oldest operating mafia. But it may come as a bit of a surprise to find out that an old mafia home is being converted to a new museum. In an ongoing and
Continue readingknitnut.net: Ernie goes to Italy: Part I
I was going to blog about Italy today, but I didn’t get around to it. Here’s the thing: an Italy post needs pictures. I have a new camera (a real one, not a phone) and I’ve started learning Adobe Lightroom but I’m still figuring it out. So far I’ve imported
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: The Eurozone’s ‘New Austerity Model’ » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
The Eurozone’s ‘New Austerity Model’ » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names. by Jack Rasmus In the coming weeks and months, as the Eurozone economy weakens still further, it is likely that debates and splits within the Eurozone capitalist elites will continue to intensify. The Eurozone economy has never
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Renzi seeks to avert labour battlefield – English – ANSA.it
Renzi seeks to avert labour battlefield – English – ANSA.it. Rome, November 7 – Italian Premier Matteo Renzi on Friday reiterated a warning against letting labour-reform issues become a “terrain of conflict”. “I’ve made this appeal in the last few days and I’ll make it again,” he said at
Continue readingknitnut.net: Ciao!
GC and I are off to Italy tomorrow, for two weeks of exploring, eating and drinking wine! We’re starting in Venice, then going to Florence, followed by a few days in the Tuscan countryside, and finishing up in Rome. We’re going to the San Michelle’s cemetery in Venice, the Ufizzi
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Unions incensed after ‘surreal’ meeting – English – ANSA.it
Unions incensed after ‘surreal’ meeting – English – ANSA.it. (ANSA) – Rome, October 27 – The leaders of Italy’s four main labor union federations were incensed Monday after a meeting with government ministers, ostensibly to discuss the government’s proposed 2015 budget, turned out to be what they said was a
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: CGIL rally: 1 million, plus 1,000 police, and PD MPs – English – ANSA.it
CGIL rally: 1 million, plus 1,000 police, and PD MPs – English – ANSA.it. (ANSA) – Rome, October 24 – As many as one million people, one thousand police officers, and a small number of dissident members of the governing Democratic Party (PD) are expected at a major rally called
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Renzi budget has business ‘dreaming’ and unions worried – English – ANSA.it
Renzi budget has business ‘dreaming’ and unions worried – English – ANSA.it. CGIL and FIOM metalworkers rally for jobs Redazione ANSA Rome 14 October 2014 (ANSA) – Rome, October 14 – Italy’s employers on Tuesday hailed Premier Matteo Renzi’s forthcoming 2015 budget bill as a dream come true while Italy’s
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Why Italy’s stagnation could be the future for the entire eurozone | Riccardo Bellofiore | Comment is free | theguardian.com
Why Italy’s stagnation could be the future for the entire eurozone | Riccardo Bellofiore | Comment is free | theguardian.com. This summer Italy fell into a triple-dip recession. After the 2008/09 collapse, the economy stagnated, heading back into recession during 2011 and never really recovering. The philosophy of Giulio
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Youth unemployment reaches record high – English – ANSA.it
Youth unemployment reaches record high – English – ANSA.it. (ANSA) – Rome, July 31 – Unemployment among young Italians climbed last month to 43.7%, a level not seen in 37 years, according to statistics Thursday that presented further evidence of the continuing weakness in the country’s lackluster economy. The jobless
Continue readingcartoon life: My sister in Italy, again this year
My sister in Italy, again this year My sister is travelling again through various places in Italy again this summer. Here is the blog posting pics and notes, most writing from her friend Karen. I enjoy reading about the places she gets off to, so I’m sharing this with all of
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Interchange a Highway
Atlanta isn’t known for being a walkable city. Florence, Italy has a better reputation. This is kind of mind blowing, and should have people thinking about overpasses and cloverleaf highways in a different way. Auto-sprawl has many costs. Florence Italy and a highway interchange in Atlanta at same scale. @stevemouzon
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Capital, Labour, and the Eurozone Crisis
Most of the coverage regarding the Eurozone crisis has understandably focused on the politics of austerity. Less attention, however, has been paid to the longer term trends in the industrial relations of those countries hardest hit by the crisis: Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain; the so-called PIIGS countries. Recent
Continue readingHookers to be part of Italy’s GDP
Italy’s National Institute of Statistics recently announced that next year it will start including activities such as prostitution and illegal drug sales in the country’s Gross Domestic Product. And why not. After all, these activities create jobs and incomes and are therefore an integral part of a national economy. Estimating
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: EU officials plotted IMF attack to bring rebellious Italy to its knees – Telegraph Blogs
EU officials plotted IMF attack to bring rebellious Italy to its knees – Telegraph Blogs. The revelations about EMU skulduggery are coming thick and fast. Tim Geithner recounts in his book Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises just how far the EU elites are willing to go to save the
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Labour-reform decree gets final approval – English – ANSA.it
Labour-reform decree gets final approval – English – ANSA.it. The Lower House on Thursday gave final approval to the government’s decree to simplify Italy’s labour-market regulations. It passed with 279 votes in favour, 143 against and three abstentions. The decree has come under intense fire from trade unions, which say
Continue reading