Eight out of ten people declare to work more than specified in the contract. And almost half of the workers are not paid these “extra” hours. But it’s not just him. This and much more emerges from the ‘Zero Slave on the Riviera’ project launched by the Uil union Uiltucs Emilia-Romagna, which represents workers in the tertiary education, tourism, trade and service sectors. Created survey It was created in cooperation with the Disputes Office to collect testimonies of those working on seasonal activities on the Romagna coast, as well as to support those who want to know and defend their rights.
In recent years, there has been a fierce debate about seasonal work in the tourism sector, and this situation has led to the emergence of opposing views. Entrepreneur who complains about the lack of trained manpower and claims that young people “have no desire to work anymore” and “correct their way”. And those of workers, young and old, who often condemn a system of exploitative working conditions, contractual minimums and hard-working wages. Under investigation before the start of the season Today we tried to apply for some proposals in the sector and brought to light many irregularities not only in Romagna but also in southern Italy.
And what emerges from the Uil survey, which is still possible to answer by posting one’s own anonymous statement, confirms what the surveys reveal. Hotels, bars, restaurants and baths currently have around 70 workers who have decided to take part in the project, but the union expects many more responses by the end of the season when workers apply. unemployment
About 8 out of 10 people work longer hours because they are contracted, and most are unpaid
79% of these 70 workers declare that they work more than stipulated in the contract. “This is a question of unrealistic contracts,” explains Maura Zavaglini, head of the Uil disputes office in Ravenna. “Oftentimes workers are employed part-time or on duty versus full-time services and beyond. This also has a negative impact on INPS contributions for unemployment and retirement purposes”.
But that’s not all: the survey shows that 41% of workers are not paid “extra” hours. Even when they receive a salary, only 39% declare that they receive the compensation on their payroll, while the remaining 61% is paid with the now famous “out of envelope”. He later discovers that, looking at the hourly rate, the extra-envelope hourly rate for 22% of employees (if “lucky to see them get paid”) is less than a net €5 per hour. It settles between 5% and 7 Euros. “These are minimum rates, considering that at least 8 or 10 euros must be paid for an hour’s overtime outside the envelope,” the trade unionist comments.
“50% of people declaring that 41% of the overtime wages included in the overall package, which usually starts from 1300 euros and reaches 1500/1700 euros, are not paid by 50% declare real rates of abuse. imagine that this amount has everything in it: the thirteenth , fourteenth, severance pay, holidays, vacations and any overtime,” continues Zavaglini. “Therefore, it is clear that this figure almost does not meet the total wage stipulated by the collective tourism contract that expired at the end of 2019. If all the hours worked were paid, we would have had a total monthly net salary of over 2000 euros. The problem is that a single worker has to do the services for two, and moreover, contracted “Entrepreneurs can’t complain about the increase in labor costs because wages are fixed in this sector. It is the service and catering prices that have been increasing for years,” he said.
Tiring hours and non-existent rest days
If we then look at their working hours, we discover how tiring they really are: According to the survey, 63% of seasonal workers work above the contractual limit. Specifically, 17.5% say they work more than 60 hours a week, 19% say they work between 50 and 60 hours, and 27% say they work between 40 and 50 hours. “If I work 60 hours a week and maybe even take the evening shift, under what conditions will I go home? They pose a danger to me and others on the street”.
Weekly rest day on that matter (remember, it’s required by law): only 57.8% of seasonal workers on the Romagna Riviera use it regularly. 25% declare that they only use “sometimes”, 17.2% do not take a vacation and work 7 days a week during the whole season (usually starting at Easter and lasting until mid-September). Understandably, 84% of employees feel they are not paid enough and 74% are considering quitting before the season ends.
“From the data collected so far it becomes clear that hours worked are not paid fairly – unionist” concludes – Endless services are demanded without respect for the most fundamental rights, both in terms of wages and employment. Compliance with working hours legislation work People do not feel that their minimum human rights are respected Affects the person and their physical and psychological state of health: verbal abuse, mistreatment and humiliation by employers workers then, understandably, turn to other sectors”.
“We are treated as if we are numbers, not people”
This desperation is also evident in the statements made in the survey: “The pay is too low for the mental and physical fatigue felt during the season,” writes one worker. “Repression and exploitation with little pay,” adds another. “I work around 70 hours a week and the envelope talks about 36 hours,” says one seasonal worker. “The biggest problem is that even if I work more than twice, the more recognition I get, the less I get counted”. “It caused me health problems, but I had to do it out of necessity,” says another.
Alongside the exploitation of labor is this category of (inhuman) treatment: “The hotel staff where I work is not even treated as human beings. They have numbers and if they have a problem, it’s theirs. It’s not even taken into account. Zero humanity!”. Another explains: “The absurd experience in the midst of maltreatment, non-payment of overtime and real social problems. Completely extraordinary and not just moral, but physical, proper health care. Contract not being respected”. “It makes me laugh when I see seasonal entrepreneurs on the news complaining that they can’t find staff,” explains one interviewee. “They blame the income of the citizens and those who want dignity are described as lazy, instead making so much illegal turnover during the season that they buy a house with cash or stay on vacation all winter with the money saved by taxes. smuggling and not paying enough to the employees. We need more humanity in this industry. , because we are seasonal workers human beings and not cannon fodder to be sacrificed for their comfort”.
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Source: Today IT
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
