The long-awaited labor measures are coming, illustrated to the unions on the eve of the council of ministers that the Meloni government strongly and symbolically wanted to convene for May 1st. A decision that CGIL, CISL and UIL saw as “an act of arrogance and offensive”, to use the words of Maurizio Landini’s leader, to which Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni did not fail to respond shortly before receiving CGIL, CISL and UIL at Palazzo Chigi: “Landini’s words are incomprehensible. If he really thinks that it is harmful to work on May 1st, then the triple concert should be organized on another day”. Then during the confrontation more conciliatory words: “a CDM on May 1st to cut the cost of labor is not a lack of respect. It is a signal and I would have expected a ‘well done’. It was a way of saying ‘here we are and we are there everyone’, an outstretched hand, an attempt to dialogue and work together, because I think we are in agreement on cutting the tax wedge”. An overheated climate therefore, with the Uil secretary, Pier Paolo Bombardieri, speaking of a “propaganda act” to effectively obscure the rallies of the three union leaders in the traditional workers’ day demonstration which this year takes place in Potenza. But Meloni goes straight, defines the choice of May 1 “a good sign” and a way to honor the workers, and underlines how for her executive the confrontation with the unions is “very important”. Table at which the prime minister herself illustrated the provision to CGIL, CISL and UIL with the latest changes made: from the cut in the tax and social security wedge which will increase by four points, reaching up to seven points for those earning up to 25 thousand euros, to the for the detaxation of fringe benefits for employees with dependent children which rises to 3,000 euros. The definitive disappearance of the Citizenship Income from next year and the arrival from next year of the Inclusion Check for a total expenditure calculated at 5.4 billion euros in 2024 were also confirmed. While the so-called Work Activation Tool, which will start from September 1st, it will cost 276 million this year and 2.1 billion next. “A nice way to celebrate May 1st”, commented the prime minister, satisfied in particular with the reform of the Citizenship Income “to distinguish who is able to work from who is not”. “The government’s priority – she said to the union leaders – is to lighten the tax burden on labor costs. We approved the Def, which freed up resources that we have completely dedicated to cutting the tax wedge. We had already given a signal with the law budget, maintaining the two cut points already decided by the previous government for wages below 35,000 euros and adding a further point”. Meloni then urged “a serious, constructive dialogue, both on work but also on Pnrr, RepowerEU, corrections on how to spend resources, wage policy and the consequent fight against inflation. All reforms that we will face in the coming weeks”. However, the trade unions have reiterated the criticisms of a measure accused of increasing job precariousness and of affecting an instrument for the fight against poverty such as the citizen’s income. “The Citizenship Income must be reformulated in the part concerning active labor policies”, Bombardieri said, explaining that “as in all of Europe we must maintain a level of support for those in need. The poor have doubled, inequalities are increasing”. Also for the leader of the Cisl, Luigi Sbarra, “the government must change its approach” through “a serious confrontation”. The president of Confindustria, Carlo Bonomi, instead underlines how companies are pushing for greater flexibility that paves the way for hiring.
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