13 October 2007

Work, Precariousness, Future

Another topic dealt with at Vasto was the labour market.

“There are about five and a half million precarious workers, most of whom are young. They cannot plan their future, make families or take out mortgages.
The number is going up – as is the number of the many graduates who are fleeing abroad. Social security for these people is non existent. If they get a pension, it’ll be at survival levels.
Law number 30 should be revised in favour of workers. It’s not OK that certain companies are made up almost entirely of precarious workers simply so that they can make use of tax benefits. Nor is it acceptable that the precarious workers earn a lot less than the employees.
Work for young people is a national problem. It’s got social urgency. Added to this is the scourge of those killed at work. Every day there are new deaths because of the lack of safety regulations. It’s truly a war.
The State must intervene by increasing the severity of the penalties with a true and efficient inspection service. Not just a paper service as often happens now. Anyone causing the death of a worker, often the family breadwinner, because of inattention or the lack of investment in safety, must pay the price even with the closing down of the company.
A necessary part of the development of the country is the creation of a real integration between the companies and the universities, as happens for example in the United States. Innovation, research and the world of work must be together in synergy triggered off by precise initiatives and incentives from the State and the Regions. These would lead to the creation of new industrial complexes.
Furthermore, we need the widespread use of broadband, and the freeing up of Wi-Max as the basis for the development of the country. Every day that passes we are getting further away from the Europe that counts.
Whereas a Danish or English child at the elementary school is studying with an Internet connection, with us they have to have a backpack filled with 10 Kilos of books and they are memorizing multiplication tables instead of being obliged to learn English."

PS. An extract of my speech at Vasto is published on the portal of Italia dei Valori.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Work