Striking lifeguards in Rimini have been called up: "Forced to stay in the towers."

Rimini, August 8, 2025 – On Saturday, August 9, lifeguards will strike on the coast of the province of Rimini. But in reality, they will be forced to remain in the turret , as on a normal workday. "An unprecedented order ," is how Filcams Cgil, the union that has supported the rescue effort, calls it.

The strike's motivation concerns lunchtime safety . According to rescue workers and the union, this is lacking because, according to the current ordinance, service must be guaranteed by rotating staff, leaving a 300-meter stretch of sea to cover each colleague, when the watchtowers are located every 150 meters. It would be difficult and risky for Filcams to cover such a large area of sea.

The paradox, the lifeguards' association notes, is that the minimum service required during the strike is double what the ordinance requires them to perform during their lunch break. "The effects of the order (which, according to communications received, will affect approximately 200 lifeguards) paradoxically do not derogate the 300 meters required to be monitored during the central hours of the day," explains Filcams Cgil. "Even though the strike commission requires 150 meters of water to be monitored to guarantee essential public services, on Saturday lunchtime there will still be 300 meters , therefore the minimum limit imposed by the law will not be safeguarded. This is a real contradiction , determined by the Coast Guard's having imposed a system without adequate consultation with workers and businesses. This proves that this surveillance system must be overcome as early as 2026."

The union's possible solutions include the following: "We could reintroduce the lunch break interruption or (as we advocate) establish full and uninterrupted surveillance from at least 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. However, in this case, political will and investment from the beach businesses are needed. They must sit down together to rewrite a modern provincial supplementary contract that meets today's needs and Rimini's tourism industry."

Filcams raises several concerns about the manner of the requisition. "Law 146/1990, which regulates strikes in essential public services, would have required the requisition to be issued with a very tight deadline, by Tuesday, August 5th. This was not the case: the requisition was notified outside the legally required deadlines , namely, only on Wednesday, August 6th, and the companies sent the required legal communications the following day. For these reasons, Filcams CGIL will challenge the requisition measures adopted by the Prefecture and the companies, also reserving the right to legally protect the rights of the unions and the workers affected."

In summary, tomorrow's strike, although atypical as it won't cause any inconvenience to beachgoers , remains a strike on paper, as certified by the Ministry's Strike Guarantee Commission. The march , starting at 12:30 p.m., will make it visible. It will depart from Rimini, beach resorts 36-37 near the Bounty bar, and proceed towards Piazzale Boscovich. "Filcams invites residents, tourists, and associations to join the lifeguards ."