We are a group of Italian trade union activists, gathered to discuss the dramatic crisis that is affecting Italy and the whole of humanity. We are issuing this appeal to the workers of the world because this is not an Italian problem but an international one. The virus does not recognise national borders. In the same way, the economic crisis does not stop at borders. We believe our experience has many lessons for workers of other countries.

Our government has called on everyone to stay at home in order to prevent the spread of the disease. But this doesn't apply to the millions of workers who are forced to go to work in non-essential industries. The only reason we are being forced to work is to guarantee the profits of the company owners.

The government, by not ordering the closure of all non-essential production, is endangering our health and that of our families, exposing them to infection. Our health is being sacrificed on the altar of profit.

The situation faced by healthcare workers is even worse. Hospitals have become centres of contagion, with the workers having to care for patients without adequate safety equipment and without the urgently required testing. The healthcare system is literally collapsing under the pressure of the pandemic, due to years of underfunding and privatisation.

We trade union leaders, shop-stewards and rank-and-file workers believe it is time we took our destiny into our own hands.

We demand that all factories and companies that are not producing essential goods must close, with all workers on full pay, paid by the company! If the bosses do not agree, wherever possible, strike action must be called and production stopped. The strikes erupting in Italy, France, Spain, the US, Canada and other countries confirm that the workers in all countries understand the situation perfectly well and are not ready to be cannon fodder for profit.

In every workplace, committees should be set up to supervise the implementation of the necessary health and safety measures. These should include workers' delegates, elected and recallable at any time. The task of such committees should be to allow workers to impose the sanitisation of all plants and workspaces, as well as the adherence to all safety measures. Workers must be able to stop production whenever there is an immediate danger.

The trade unions should fully accept their responsibility, co-ordinating and uniting all the strikes and protests around the central demand of stopping all non-essential activities.

The bosses in each country say that if they stop production, they will lose markets both at home and abroad. They are thus trying to divide workers along national lines. An unprecedented economic crisis is approaching, and the workers should not have to pay for it. That is why we must unite across borders and build a coordinated effort of the workers of the world. With united, international workers’ action we can force the capitalists to back off and accept our legitimate demands.