T.Among the many problems related to the pandemic that our country is facing, one of the most worrying is certainly that concerning the poor work, a topic that has been widely talked about for days. Despite not yet having the data concerning 2020 in hand, according to the Minister of Labor, Andrea Orlando (Pd), the pandemic would have led to an accentuation of this phenomenon, as reported by the website ofHandle.
MILAN – 10/2005 woman at work in the office. PH DILETTO
A problem that cannot be thought of fighting by having citizenship income as the only tool, a system that, if previously thought could lead to concrete benefits, is showing more and more gaps and inconsistencies over time. “You cannot remain without doing anything», Said Orlando himself, for whom« staying still would mean accepting the idea of poor work ». For this reason, the “Working Group on Interventions and Measures to Combat Work Poverty in Italy“- put together by Orlando himself – has included a series of proposals in the report on poor work, through which, they say, to be able to face the situation.
Poor work: the data
According to the data contained in the report delivered to Minister Orlando, a quarter of Italian workers receive (or would risk receiving in the near future) a salary of less than 12 thousand euros per year, with the consequent problem of ending up in a situation of poverty. The “poor workers” in Italy would currently be around 12%, a percentage that rises up to 22% if part-time workers are also taken into consideration. The category most affected is once again that of women, who represent over 27% of workers at risk, compared to 16% of men, who can boast generally more stable living conditions.
Alarming data, therefore, they see Italy ranks fourth in all of Europe for the spread of poor work, after Romania, Spain and Luxembourg. And if it is true that a large part of the problem derives from low hourly wages, it is also true that, among the main causes highlighted, there are also the spread of so-called “contracts” (short contracts lasting a few weeks) and an increasingly poor working continuity, both issues that are always linked to the pandemic in progress. But not only.
For the experts, in fact, in-work poverty is like a “chain”, and can depend on various factors which include, in addition to an insufficient salary level, also the family composition, the level of subsidies from the state and the duration of employment contracts, in fact, in sharp decrease. But who are these experts?
The team of experts
The group put together by Orlando is made up of a mix of economists, sociologists and profound connoisseurs of the sector. Among these stand out names such as those of Romolo De Camillis, an official of the Ministry of Labor with extensive experience in finance and social policy, and of Mariella Magnani, professor at the University of Pavia and author of numerous publications on trade union rights and social security.
The task entrusted to him, in addition to providing an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon of working poverty in Italy, was make concrete proposals to tackle the problem and improve the general framework of the country. To be valid, however, they point out, such proposals must be put into practice all together, and not be isolated from each other.
The proposals
Among the proposals made by the team of experts, the one that caused the most discussion was the one concerning the so-called “minimum salary”, A topic already on the lips of many unions for some time.
This measure would lead to guaranteeing a minimum wage level for all workers, in order to avoid that they may find themselves in conditions of poverty and, at the same time, to ensure that they are protected from this risk also in the future, preserving their working safety. To make this happen, however, there is a need for bureaucracy and clear practices, say the team members themselves, both essential objectives to avoid wasting money and resources.
Along with it, the other proposals put on the table are:
The strengthening of the “in-work benefit“, With introducing public transfers for low-wage earners, as happens in other European countries. The introduction of a quality stamp for companies that respect minimum wages and the principle of equal pay for men and women. The promotion at the European level of a campaign to revise the indicator of in-work poverty.
Difficult actions but which, if put into practice, could finally change the economic situation of the country and of a generation of workers who are struggling to sustain themselves.
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