“I have a doubt about the minimum wage: it is a beautiful title, it works very well as a slogan, but in its application it risks creating problems”. On the day when the minimum wage returns to the Working Committee of the Hemicycle, the president of the government Giorgia Meloni addresses the issue with Rtl 102.5, after the indiscretion of the last few days about its possible opening to the opposition. And points to a different path: “I believe in union bargaining“says the prime minister, “I think it should be strengthened” to protect those workers “who are not covered without, however, risking to reduce the rights of those who have a contract”. However, Meloni does not exclude a dialogue with parties outside the government: “We will open a discussion and try to understand if there is a solution that can keep the two things together”.
what’s up today
The opposition forces (excluding Italia viva) presented on July 4, to the Labor committee of the Chamber, a proposed law which provides for a minimum wage a 9 euros gross per hour, regardless of the applicable national collective agreement. On July 14, the center-right presented a suppressive amendment which, if approved, would eliminate the proposal. In fact, the text would still go to the Chamber, but with the speaker’s mandate to report negatively and its rejection at that time would be taken for granted. For this Pd, M5s, Action, Avs and Più Europa, at yesterday’s meeting of group leaders, asked that the amendment be withdrawn. And, this afternoon, the question will be discussed in the House’s Work Committee. The issue is also being discussed in the Senate, where the vote on Stefano Patuanelli’s (M5S) motion on the issue of the minimum wage of 9 euros per hour is scheduled.
The differences in the majority
In recent weeks, several members of the majority had criticized the minimum wage, including now Antonio Tajani of Forza Italia (“we are not in the USSR”) and the minister of FdI Nello Musumeci (who had spoken of “welfare”). At the weekend, however, a possible opening to dialogue by Prime Minister Meloni had been leaked, with the oppositions who at the time had asked the majority for concrete moves. According to what was leaked, there would have been a discussion between the majority parties and in the end it would have been decided to say “no” to the opposition’s request, proposing mediation instead. Walter Rizzetto, president of the FdI Labor committee, therefore asked to postpone the discussion until after the summer. An unwelcome decision especially among the exponents of Forza Italia, the most reluctant to measures of this type, as confirmed, for example, by the recent statements of Paolo Barelli: “No one can argue that Forza Italia is not in favor of increasing wages and its spending capacity”, said the leader of the blue group in the chamber, reiterating however that “the issue is complex, it cannot be dealt with only by a law”.
Source : IL Messaggero
