Luciano Lama

Luciano Lama (14 October 1921 – 31 May 1996) was an Italian trade unionist and politician, General Secretary of Italian General Confederation of Labour from 1970 to 1986.

Luciano Lama
General Secretary of CGIL
In office 24 March 1970 – 28 February 1986
Preceded by	Agostino Novella
Succeeded by	Antonio Pizzinato
Mayor of Amelia
In office 17 July 1989 – 31 May 1996
Preceded by	Giulio Ippoliti
Succeeded by	Fabrizio Bellini
Member of the Senate of the Republic
In office 2 July 1987 – 14 April 1994
Constituency	Forlì-Faenza (1987–1992) Orvieto (1992–1994)
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 12 June 1958 – 2 July 1969
Constituency	Bologna
Personal details
Born	(1921-10-14)14 October 1921 Gambettola, Italy
Died	31 May 1996(1996-05-31) (aged 74) Rome, Italy
Political party	PSI (before 1946) PCI (1946–1991) PDS (1991–1996)
Alma mater	University of Florence
Profession	Trade unionist, politician

Biography

Role in the resistance

Lama graduated in Political Sciences at the University of Florence under the name of Boris Alberti, since he had to remain anonymous because he refused to join the Republic of Salò.^[1] When he was very young, Lama joined the Italian Socialist Party and took part in the resistance movement, contributing to free the city of Forlì from the Nazis.^[2]

Deputy and secretary of the CGIL

In 1946, Lama joined the Italian Communist Party, with which he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1958, in 1963 and in 1968. He left his seat when he joined the Italian General Confederation of Labour, being elected Secretary-general of the trade union in 1970.^[2]

On 17 February 1977, Lama was violently contested at the University of Rome by a group of young people, who adhered to extra-parliamentary positions.^[3]

In January 1978, in an assembly at the EUR in Rome, Lama proposed to the workers a politics of sacrifice, aimed at healing the Italian economy.^[4] At the end of his secretary, in 1986, the CGIL was strengthened in terms of political influence as it became the main point of reference for most of the employees.^[5]

Senator

In 1987, Lama was elected with the Communist Party to the Senate and was re-elected in 1992 with the Democratic Party of the Left. From 9 July 1987 to 14 April 1994, Lama was appointed Vice-president of the Senate.^[2]

Mayor experience and death

In 1989, Lama was elected Mayor of Amelia, a town in the province of Terni, and was re-elected in 1994, when he became the first Mayor elected directly by the people of Amelia, receiving support by the whole Alliance of Progressives.^[6]

Lama died in office on 31 May 1996, at the age of 74, after a long illness.^[7] He is now buried in the Verano Cemetery.^[3]

Electoral history

Election	House	Constituency	Party		Votes	Result
1958	Chamber of Deputies	Bologna–Ferrara–Ravenna–Forlì		PCI	32,699	Y Elected
1963	Chamber of Deputies	Bologna–Ferrara–Ravenna–Forlì		PCI	26,332	Y Elected
1968	Chamber of Deputies	Bologna–Ferrara–Ravenna–Forlì		PCI	25,513	Y Elected
1987	Senate of the Republic	Emilia-Romagna – Forlì-Faenza		PCI	63,037	Y Elected
1992	Senate of the Republic	Umbria – Orvieto		PDS	19,974	Y Elected