Tens of thousands of Italians took to the streets of Rome yesterday in protest against austerity policies that are hitting working people’s lives hard.

The three major trade unions that organised the 40,000-strong protest said it had given a much-needed voice to their opposition to Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s reforms.

The Rome demonstration was one of around 50 taking place across Italy in a show of anger at measures Mr Renzi claims are necessary to stimulate the country’s moribund economy.

The main target of complaint is the so-called jobs Act, which seeks to stimulate job creation and new hiring by making it easier for companies to lay employees off.

The Act also cuts job security and severance rights during the first years of a worker’s contract.

Unions have slammed insufficient efforts to stimulate economic growth against a backdrop of record unemployment, which for 15 to 25-year-olds now stands at over 43 per cent.

The strike was called by Italy’s biggest union grouping CGIL and smaller confederations UIL and UGL.

Hundreds of thousands of workers and students took to the streets and many more stayed away from work in response to the unions’ call for an eight-hour general strike.

“Today there has been an extraordinary response from workers opposed to the Renzi government’s policies,” metal

workers’ union federation Fiom general secretary Maurizio Landini told a rally in Genoa.

“The piazzas are full, not just here in Genoa but in all of Italy.”

Dozens of flights were cancelled or rescheduled and there was only a minimum or partial service on most public transport.

The strike and demonstrations had been scheduled weeks before Mr Renzi successfully fast-tracked the new Act through parliament.

In a controversial break with established custom, he has completely sidelined union leaders in discussions on the country’s economic direction.

“The government has to choose between conflict and dialogue,” warned CGIL secretary-general Susanna Camusso.

And UIL leader Carmelo Barbagallo added: “Today we have brought Italy to a standstill in order that we can start again in the right direction.”