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Cgil referendum “to free up labour”, is it the right choice?

by Marzio Nava

The Cgil (Italian General Confederation of Labour) returns on the warpath.

The Cgil (Italian General Confederation of Labour) returns on the warpath. On April 11, Cgil applied four referendum questions to the Supreme Court related to three main topics: protection against illegitimate dismissals, overcoming precariousness, and contract labour safety. The target is the Jobs act, but there is much more at stake. The idea underlying behind the referendum is the well-known belief that the more you tighten the labour market the more workers will be protected, the usual optical illusion. The trade union front has split, not for the first time and certainly not for the last time. Cgil on one side, CISL (Italian Confederation of Workers' Unions) on the other, with UIL (Italian Labour Union) is in the middle, sceptical about the use of the referendum tool. Why did Cgil has digged up the hatchet of war? Is the employment trend negative? Is stable work going downhill? None of the above. The data tell us something else. The labor market continues to show vitality.

In March 2024, for the third consecutive month, the number of employed persons increased (+22 thousand compared to February). Over the year there are 297 thousand more employed people, practically all of them permanent employees. The data for March released by Istat show that the total number of employed people has reached a peak of 23.349.000. So, what does this mean? It is necessary to change the paradigm alongside a shift of mentality. Workers must be defended in the labour market and not by the labour market. Standing back with anti-historical and anachronistic rules will cause negative repercussions for the employment and will only make it more difficult for companies to hire. As companies know very well, finding the right person for filling up certain corporate positions has become a gamble, and when you already have valuable workers, it's worth holding onto them tightly.

The emancipation of workers involves the emancipation of knowledge and intelligence, including artificial intelligence. The way of production has undergone a 180-degree shift. This kind of old and dusty calls to the class struggle, have a very political and not trade-union character (at least in the reformist conception). Moreover, the Cgil of Landini has never seen with good eyes the Jobs Act of Renzi. In the economy characterized by 5.0 Industry, if a work relationship is worn out, Article 18 (job protection clause) is no longer relevant. In new jobs, it is difficult to imagine the forced cohabitation provided by the old regulatory model linked to the indissolubility of the employment relationship as outlined in the Article 18.

It's even more relevant nowadays, when with the digital economy, how the great Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, stated: "Employers only handle the money. It's the customer who pays the wages." Last but not least, those who are playing against the companies, do not serve the cause of employment, workers, or consumers.

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