The CGIL (Italian General Confederation of Labour), led by Maurizio Landini, is not easing its pressure on the government ahead of the budget meeting on Friday at Palazzo Chigi. The union confirms the national demonstration planned for October 25th in Rome and reintroduces a proposal for a "solidarity contribution" for the richest earners. As per Landini, "it is possible to introduce a wealth tax on those with more than €2 million, with a rate of 1.3% that would affect approximately 500,000 taxpayers, generating revenue of approximately €26 billion". The CGIL leader cautions that if the government does not take the union's ideas into consideration, new actions will be pursued in collaboration with other labor organizations. "We cannot accept economic and social policies that increase inequality and push the country toward the abyss", he made clear. Landini then attacked the increase in military spending, calling the present threshold of 2% of GDP "sufficient" and describing the new European defense commitments as "an unprecedented economic constraint". "If 900 billion dollars are spent on weapons over the next ten years", he explained, "it will be inevitable to cut resources for healthcare and public services, paving the way for further privatizations".