The passage of the government's
Jobs Act by confidence vote is a "clear" curb on parliamentary
debate that lays the groundwork for more precarious youth jobs,
"removes rights rather than extending them, and paves the way
for arbitrary decisions and abuses," Italy's biggest and most
leftwing trade union, CGIL, said Thursday.
The CGIL, which is set to hold a major rally on October 25,
said it was prepared for a "long campaign to affirm labour
prerogatives".
The union, which has historic ties to Premier Matteo
Renzi's Democratic Party (PD), has been trying to fight the
controversial Jobs Act reforms along with PD dissenters for the
last month.
Earlier Thursday Renzi used Twitter to express his
satisfaction at his government's victory in a crunch confidence
vote on its Jobs Act labour reform in the Senate, adding that
the executive is now focusing on tax reform.
"Very good yesterday on the Jobs Act," Renzi posted on the
@matteorenzi account.
"Now decisive and determined on fiscal simplification.
Step by step, Italy is starting over".
Renzi's executive called the confidence vote on a key Jobs
Act amendment to pressure the PD opponents to vote in favour.
The PD minority opposed to changes for new hires to
Article 18 of the Workers' Stature - which protects people from
unfair dismissal - backed down and toed the party line, while
vowing to fight on to the measure during the rest of its path
through parliament.
The Renzi administration, which would have collapsed if it
had lost the vote, prevailed with 165 votes in favour, 111
against and two abstentions.
Renzi argues Article 18 discourages firms from hiring
staff, as it is hard to get rid of someone once they are on the
books, and has contributed to high levels of unemployment and
the overuse of temporary and freelance contracts, especially for
young people.
"Yesterday the Senators made a huge step forward," Renzi
said early on Thursday.
"The margin (of victory) was very strong. I'm very happy
with the result in numerical terms".
But the win came at a price though.
PD Senator Walter Tocci voted in favour but said he
intended to quit parliament.
Another leading PD dissenter, Stefano Fassina, said that
there was "great concern and suffering" within the parliamentary
party.
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