The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. December 5, 2011 Italy Austerity Measure Raises Retirement Age, Taxes ----------------------------------------------------- Italy's cabinet has unveiled a massive $32 billion austerity package in its response to the sovereign debt crisis threatening the Eurozone. The plan includes a series of tax hikes and raises the retirement age for Italian workers. Italy's trade unions have denounced the measures, saying they will come on the backs of the poor. On Sunday, Italy's Welfare Minister broke into tears as she discussed the sacrifices being asked of low-income pensioners. .