ROME, Oct 24: Millions of Italians from the Alps to the island of Sicily staged a half-day strike on Friday against government plans to reform the pensions system, snarling public transport, closing factories and shuting schools.

However, business leaders suggested turnout was lower than in recent labour disputes and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s supporters said they would press ahead with moves to raise the retirement age regardless.

Italy’s three main unions said 1.5 million flag-waving and whistle blowing protesters had demonstrated in piazzas around the country, while millions more downed tools for four hours.

“It’s necessity that’s forced us out into the streets,” said Marcello Cedroni, 83, clad in red and protesting in Rome’s baroque Piazza Navona. “I’m a pensioner and I’m finding it hard to survive now. Under the new system, it will be even worse.”

The government reform would prevent people retiring before they have made 40 years of contributions or reached a minimum age of 65 for men and 60 for women. At the moment, Italians can retire at 57 if they have paid into the system for 35 years.

With the economy in recession, the protests have come at a difficult time for Berlusconi, whose first short-lived government in 1994 was toppled over the same pensions issue.

However, this time around all his coalition partners have signed up to the reform and look certain to weather the storm. Hospitals said they could only guarantee staff for emergency services, schoolchildren got a bonus day at home and Milan’s La Scala opera had to cancel its evening performance.

But it was travellers that bore the brunt. National airline Alitalia axed more than 150 afternoon flights as a consequence of the staggered stoppage and morning trains were cancelled.

“What the hell is going on?” asked Kent Hedtke from the U.S. state of Minnesota, whose European honeymoon came to an abrupt halt on the floor of the Italian capital’s main station.

Like France and Germany, Italy is trying to reform its pensions system, which swallows about 15 percent of gross domestic product — one of the highest levels in Europe.

That proportion is set to grow as low birth rates and longer life expectancy age the country’s population, but unions argue that a 1995 reform was enough to avert any crisis.

“If the government doesn’t change its course and recognise the strength of our arguments, they can expect us to continue our protests,” said Guglielmo Epifani, head of the largest union CGIL, leading a march in the northern city of Bologna.

Industry chiefs, who believe the government pension plans are too weak, said many workers had ignored the strike call.

“It’s an extremely low turnout...not more than 30 percent,” said Antonio D’Amato, head of Confindustria, which represents almost all major employers. “Italians have shown themselves to be wiser than the unionists.”

Berlusconi, Italy’s richest man, swept to power in 2001 promising wholesale economic and institutional reform.

Change has been slow in coming and he met fierce resistence last year when he tried to shake-up the rigid labour market, with unions staging their first, full-day general strike in two decades that drew widespread grass-roots backing.

Berlusconi eventually watered down the proposals and split the unions in the process, with moderates backing the deal. The big three unions have re-united again in their opposition to the pensions reform which was unveiled earlier this month.

The government will present it to parliament by year-end. —Reuters