CNEL rejects minimum wage: What changes for 3 and a half million poor workers?

The assembly of the National Economic and Labor Council CNEL, chaired by former minister Renato Brunetta, approved the document on the minimum hourly wage proposed by the Information Commission. The green light came with a majority vote. The text envisages a fundamental rejection of the introduction of a minimum hourly wage and the strengthening of national collective bargaining. The text was approved with 39 votes in favor and 15 against: CGIL, UIL and USB approved no.

Therefore, the proposal of five experts appointed by the President to test the minimum wage rate to accompany the wage negotiations was rejected without objection. In the report prepared by the Five, we read: “As a large body of literature shows, a statutory minimum wage, if implemented well within collective bargaining mechanisms, does not weaken it, but strengthens it.” In the same document, it was underlined that almost all European countries and all G7 countries (except Italy) have legislation on minimum wages. Ideas that are actually the exact opposite of those described in the final document.

The opinion comes nearly 60 days after President Giorgia Meloni requested it on August 11, and for many it represents real support for the positions of the government majority, which has always been against the introduction of a minimum wage.

Effects of today’s decision

The National Economic and Labor Council is a body of constitutional importance (as provided for in Article 99 of our Constitution) that plays an advisory role to the Government, the Parliament and the Regions. It consists of experts appointed by the President and sometimes recommended by the Prime Minister, representatives of trade unions and business, and representatives of the third sector. It expresses its views on economic and social issues and the relations between citizens and central and local public administrations. Their opinions are not binding and represent real consultancy that institutions can request.

In fact, after today’s vote on Thursday, October 12, nothing will change at a concrete level on the painful path of introducing the minimum wage in our country. However, the debate in the Parliament may slow down further. The government majority would be ready to refer the debate on the minimum wage to the labor commission to further examine CNEL’s observations. Debate was planned in Parliament next week and exactly next Wednesday, October 18. Right was to present proposals on this issue in the light of recent observations. Not only that: even if it is not binding in any way, the CNEL’s opinion has its own political weight, precisely because it was developed by an “intermediate body” in which important representatives of civil society took part.

An effect that the opposition was quick to highlight. “The Right is using the CNEL to say no to the minimum wage. They do not have the courage to do this openly and to hide behind institutions of constitutional importance that must be protected from political exploitation. This is the day the CNEL split, the proposal in the Commission to postpone the minimum wage – a two-month delay then given that the vote in Parliament is scheduled for October 17 – a cowardly escape from the real country and the purchasing power crisis. Millions of people. For us, further delay of this is absolutely unacceptable,” said the leader of the Democratic Party on the Working Committee in the Chamber Arturo Scotto.

But the parliamentary road seems to lengthen inexorably. We will have to wait for approximately 3.5 million poor workers. The minimum wage, however, now looks more and more like a real identity struggle that radically divides left and right.

Continue reading on Today.it…

Source: Today IT

\