ROME- The Eternal City's most famous archaeological sites were closed for more than three hours on Friday morning, due to a union assembly, causing queues and backlash of protests from tourists. 

  The Colosseum, the Palatine, the Roman Forum, the Baths of Diocletian and many more sites did not open their gates this morning –as usual- at 8.30 am, but instead three hours later, making more than 3000 tourists wait.  

  Chaos sparked because, although this union meeting had been programmed, the Colosseum staff did not provide a clear information plaque about the imminent delays, mistakenly writing ‘the Coliseum is going to be closed from 8 am to 11 pm’, instead of writing 11 am, thus, increasing confusion to tourists.     

  “Enough is enough” said Dario Franceschini, Culture Minister, referring to the union meeting that paralysed Rome’s most famous archaeological sites, which created huge image damage to the Capital as well as discontentment among tourists. 

  “Today at the cabinet meeting, it will be proposed that archaeological sites and museums be insterted into the list of essential public services” tweeted Franceschini, in accordance with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. 

  Roberto Alesse, Guarantor of the Union Commission at the Cabinet, agreed, saying : “the closure to visitors of the major archaeological sites this morning, reflects, once again, the urgency of including the use of cultural heritages as essential public services.”

  According to trade union Ss-Col, the meeting was more than legitimate because the working situation for the personnel at archaeological sites is disastrous. At stake there are contracts’ benefits and work qualifications. 

  However, it is not the first time for Rome and other cities- Pompei for example last July- to get anticipated and unexpected closures motivated by trade union meetings, causing not solely image damages but also economic ones.