Thousands of workers stage protests across Italy in general strike

Demonstrators gathered for protests in places including Rome (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Thousands of teachers, healthcare workers, rubbish collectors and others have walked off their jobs across Italy to protest against a decline in spending power, persistently low salaries and government policies they say have weakened public services.

Italy’s most powerful trade unions called the eight-hour strike and mobilised marches in cities across the country to target premier Giorgia Meloni’s latest budget that they say penalises schools, healthcare and other services.