Premier Mario Monti recently warned young Italians that they shouldn’t expect ‘a job for life’ which was ‘monotonous’.
Other ministers have suggested young people in Italy were pampered and complained too much.
This was all said in a bid to justify plans to further deregulate the labour market and pile more austerity upon austerity.
For young Sicilians these comments from the wealthy plutocrat running their country, a man with several jobs, are particularly inappropriate and offensive. Here’s why:
- 41.3% youth unemployment
- 40% have to work to pay for their studies
- 135,000 of which 18,000 graduates left the island in 2010 to find work
- 17,000 young people undertake professional training (stage) for free
- Young Sicilians who stay have to live in the family home because of lack of money, not because they can’t live without mummy’s cooking
The youth sector of CGIL trade union confederation in the island says:
‘Monotony for us young people means continually looking for work and hearing ‘we’ll let you know’ ‘ or endless renewals of short term contracts for jobs that are often clearly permanent posts.
‘The real and dramatic situation of precarious employment and unemployment in our country must be tackled with effective measures not throw away remarks.’
This includes, the union says, action to tackle rogue employers, increasing the cost to them of using ‘flexible’ jobs, greater welfare protection, like unemployment benefit, and employment rights, such as leave and pay for paternity and maternity, and pensions.
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