Port workers in Venice demonstrated today against what they called the authorities’ failure and reluctance to help reinstate cruise calls. They said the lack of work was to the detriment of thousands of families and jeopardizing their future.

According to a press release from port workers, they claim that politicians have paid more attention to popular causes and celebrities and have no knowledge of the reality of the work and ignore the port’s economic and social worth.

More than ever, following the Covid emergency, the intention of politicians appears to be to restrict the city to being an open-air museum or, even worse, a ghost city, they said.

Although Italian authorities now allow the cruise segment to resume service, Venice has not yet been included in the ports considered by cruise companies. The workers claim it is because of the long-lasting local and regional political indecisiveness.

Workers said further that people employed for various port service have not been able to work since November, first due to the exceptional high tides and then because of the lockdown.