ROME - HUNDREDS of thousands of people braved rainy weather across Italy on Friday in support of a nationwide strike to protest the government's handling of the country's economic crisis.

The strike call by the left-wing General Confederation of Italian Workers (CGIL) union federation drew tens of thousands to the streets of Rome, where one banner read: 'Pay for the Crisis Yourselves.' In the biggest demonstration, some 200,000 people rallied in northern Bologna, Italy's largest, organisers said.

'Despite the rain, there's a great atmosphere,' said CGIL leader Guglielmo Epifani. 'There's too much unemployment and too many people in precarious situations, workers' incomes are taxed too heavily and nothing is done to help retired people,' he said.

Friday's strike is the first major industrial action against conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi since Italy's economic woes deepened with the global financial crisis, and comes two days after official figures confirmed that Italy is in a recession.

The government late last month moved to help families and businesses but has had little room for manoeuvre because of Italy's staggering public debt.

It announced a rescue package worth 80 billion euros (S$159 billion) over several years, but the opposition pointed out that the money was EU infrastructure funding that had already been allocated.

'The measures taken by the government do not change the economic situation by one iota,' said opposition economist Pier Luigi Bersani. 'It's dangerous to be so powerless in the face of this crisis.'

Many factory workers in the north downed tools on Friday, including around half the employees of auto giant Fiat's main factory in Mirafiori, near north-western Turin where some 30,000 people demonstrated and public transport was disrupted, the ANSA news agency said.

Another 50,000 people demonstrated in northern Milan, while 40,000 people took to the streets in southern Naples and 10,000 in northwestern Genoa, ANSA said.

CGIL called off its strike call for rail services and public transport in Rome and north-eastern Venice because of continued stormy weather that has claimed three lives in Italy this week. -- AFP