Fire fighters from the Emilia Romagna region stripped down to their underwear here on Monday to protest against spending cuts and the fact that their contract expired 16 months ago.
The demonstration, which saw the firefighters also wear their jackets and helmets, took place only yards from the home of Italian Premier Romano Prodi and was organised by a grass roots union group.
The long list of complaints presented by the protestors included a lack of hirings and spending cuts which resulted in no funds for training or overtime.
The fire fighters said that 200 open positions were being filled by temporary help with term contracts lasting only 20 days.
