Italian parliament rejects minimum wage bill

11 months ago 40

A proposal presented months ago by the left-wing parties on a minimum wage of at least €9 gross per hour was rejected by the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, a decision that has opened Meloni’s government to public criticism.

Wednesday’s sitting was briefly suspended due to choruses of ‘shame, shame’ from MPs unhappy with the result of the vote in the chamber. “Not in our name”, they said, and called it legalised exploitation.

“It is a sad day for the Republic. Today you are crumpling the opposition’s minimum wage proposal with one hand and giving a backhand to millions of poor workers with the other. We would like to know why Meloni is so angry with the poor. You are cutting the strings of the social lift so that the poor stay poor”, said Democratic Party (S&D) leader Elly Schlein.

+Europa deputy Benedetto Della Vedova spoke of “an act of political arrogance on the part of the majority”, while Sinistra Italiana secretary Nicola Fratoianni said that with this choice the government is “once again turning its back on the real country” and on the plight of the majority of Italian workers.

5 Star Movement President and former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte even physically tore up the text of the proposal, in an open polemic with the government led by Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d’Italia/ECR) together with Forza Italia (EPP) and Lega (ID).

“I smile a little. They tell us that the minimum wage is the only thing that needs to be done in Italy but in ten years in government they haven’t done it”, said Meloni..

In an interview with Radio RTL 102.5, Meloni said she was astonished by the position of some labour unions, accusing them of claiming the minimum wage but then, in collective bargaining, accepting contracts at just over five euros per hour.

“They should be a bit consistent”, the prime minister said.

A minimum wage exists in 22 member states and 77% of OECD countries. In Italy, collective bargaining is used, which covers a large part of employment but is now questioned by most Italians.

(Federica Pascale | Euractiv.it)