Union chief hits out at Italy budget cuts

THE leader of Italy's largest union yesterday said the 24 billion (£20.4bn) in budget cuts approved by the government penalise workers and do little to stimulate the economy.

Guglielmo Epifani, leader of the powerful CGIL, said its members were considering striking in protest. The cuts aim to bring Italy's budget deficit under 3 per cent of GDP by 2012, from 5.3 per cent in 2009.