national pasta strike day

[alocispepraluger102]

Angry Italians to go on national pasta strike

By Malcolm Moore in Rome

Last Updated: 12:17am BST 02/09/2007

On the 13 September, there will be no spaghetti, fettucine, farfalle or rigatoni in Italy, as the country goes on its first-ever pasta strike.

Angry Italians are downing their forks in response to a 30 per cent price rise in the nation's favourite food, along with steep rises in the price of coffee, mozzarella, bread, biscuits and schoolbooks.

Plate of spaghetti

Mama Mia! There'll be no pasta in Italy on 13 September

A second strike over the increase in the price of a cup of coffee in a cafe, from 70 euro cents (50p) to one euro, has also been threatened.

According to Italy's four largest consumer groups, the average household in the Bel Paese will be stung for an extra £700 this year on their shopping.

"Giving up pasta for the day will be a symbolic gesture," said a spokesman for the consumer groups. "Italians should not buy any pasta that day, and try their best not to eat it at home."

Most Italians eat pasta at least once a day, and consume around 54 kilograms over the course of the year.

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According to a recent study, many of them prefer pasta to all other pleasures. A survey by SWG, a polling company, found that nearly half of all Italian men and women would never give it up and would rather have a plate of spaghetti than sex.

Consequently, the strike-organisers are prepared for serious withdrawal symptoms. Emergency stands offering free bread and milk will be set up in all major Italian cities for those in need of carbohydrates.

The pasta-makers said the reason for the 30 per cent price rise was a shortage of wheat because farmers were switching to produce crops for the biofuel industry. Currently, a half-kilogram (1.1lb) pack of pasta costs around 70 euro cents (50p) in Italy and 70p to £1.10 in the UK.

However, a spokesman for the consumer groups said the rises were rampant speculation by the producers.

"The statistics show the price of grain has now fallen, but the price of bread, for example, keeps rising, without any link to the wheat price. According to our analysis, bread, fresh pasta and deserts have gone up by 12, 20 and 70 per cent respectively in the last year, while milk has increased by over 300 per cent."

The threat of the strike drew has drawn a rebuke from the prime minister, Romano Prodi. "There is no justification for the alarms over price rises," he said. In fact, he said the prices "are in some cases going down substantially".

He warned, however, that the "the price of prime materials should not be influencing, in a significant way, the final price that consumers pay. There are ample margins for improving efficiency to recuperate the money, just as occurs in other European countries."

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[Free For All]

An exercise in fusillity.

[Jazzmoose]

I'll offer my support; I've had pasta the last two days anyway.

[MoGrubb]

I'll offer my support; I've had pasta the last two days anyway.

I have it every Saturday.

[Rooster_Ties]

An exercise in fusillity.

[porcy62]

I'll have a risotto con i funghi for dinner. NO PASARAN!

[Rooster_Ties]

If they want prices to go down, just reduce demand.

If everybody in the entire country only ate HALF as much pasta as they did before (a 50% reduction in demand), suddenly the laws of supply and demand would take care of everything.

Or even if just half of the entire country ate half as much (only a 25% reduction in demand), the same effect would happen -- though only to a lesser degree, or it would take longer for the effect to be felt.

Problem solved.

Do these people not understand day #1 of basic Econ 101??

[alocispepraluger102]

If they want prices to go down, just reduce demand.

If everybody in the entire country only ate HALF as much pasta as they did before (a 50% reduction in demand), suddenly the laws of supply and demand would take care of everything.

Or even if just half of the entire country ate half as much (only a 25% reduction in demand), the same effect would happen -- though only to a lesser degree, or it would take longer for the effect to be felt.

Problem solved.

Do these people not understand day #1 of basic Econ 101??

your aviator got me bad. i took a fly swatter to the damn screen!

[alocispepraluger102]

"According to a recent study, many of them prefer pasta to all other pleasures. A survey by SWG, a polling company, found that nearly half of all Italian men and women would never give it up and would rather have a plate of spaghetti than sex."

[porcy62]

"According to a recent study, many of them prefer pasta to all other pleasures. A survey by SWG, a polling company, found that nearly half of all Italian men and women would never give it up and would rather have a plate of spaghetti than sex."

Ther's nothing like a good plate of spaghetti....after sex.

[Shawn]

your aviator got me bad. i took a fly swatter to the damn screen!

So an animated fly is an "aviator" instead of an "avatar"?

[Rooster_Ties]

[Free For All]

Wow, it's like the June Taylor dancers. All we need is now is for "Holiday for Strings" to be playing.

[alocispepraluger102]

Wow, it's like the June Taylor dancers. All we need is now is for "Holiday for Strings" to be playing.

this thread shows much promise.

[alocispepraluger102]

Wow, it's like the June Taylor dancers. All we need is now is for "Holiday for Strings" to be playing.

have you heard 'holiday for bones?'

[Free For All]

Vermincelli?

Oroachiette?

(back on topic, sort of)

[mikeweil]

I sincerely hope the strike is over when we head for Sicily for a week in November ..... although I love risotti just as well.

[rachel]

Vermincelli?

Oroachiette?

(back on topic, sort of)