Dellabianca: ‘An alliance with the third sector to address workers’ needs’

Education is one of our priorities, as is retaining talent by establishing a pathway from technical training to employment. We need to help businesses increase, for example, salaries and various forms of welfare, in order to compete in the European market and retain talent. Economic fragility leads to human fragility. The ‘Good Work’ manifesto was also born out of a sense of community deficit.

The most frequently cited needs are housing – which is particularly unaffordable in large cities – and the high cost of living. Figures from the Food Bank and Istat show that even those on an income often struggle to make ends meet. What do you propose?

Tax relief, as with all welfare measures: many business owners are concerned about the housing issue and are seeking solutions, including by looking at what is happening in Spain and France (and also in Italia, ed.). We need to recognise that the private sector can also play a part in addressing these issues; a partnership between the public sector, the private sector and the third sector should be supported and promoted. Businesses could be helped by making rent increases tax-exempt, particularly for young people. All investment in human capital should be tax-exempt, just as it is for machinery. The decisions we make today regarding artificial intelligence, for example, will shape the world of work of tomorrow.

Is your role model Adriano Olivetti or Leon Harmel, the French industrialist to whom you dedicated an exhibition at the Rimini Meeting? 

We must be courageous pioneers, because true value lies only in worthwhile investments. Through his decisions, Harmel broke with the conventions of the time, introducing the day of rest and banning children under the age of 12 from working. Many companies are already acting responsibly, but the welfare system needs to be further expanded to cater for all the needs that have been codified.

Will you be telling Minister Giorgetti this? We are in the midst of the budget process, but, as he himself admits, there are ‘dark clouds’ on the horizon. What is your initial assessment?

The welfare measures and the proposals to exempt productivity bonuses from tax have been welcomed, whilst the proposal to tax banks’ windfall profits – which they also return to local communities in other ways – has raised some concerns.

Are you concerned about negative repercussions on dialogue with businesses, particularly small ones, such as the majority of your members? This is a concern you have already expressed regarding the banking crisis…

Our concern stems from our focus on the local area: whilst I understand the need to expand, there is a risk of losing that personal connection which can help businesses to grow. For their part, smaller business owners in particular need to improve their ability to make themselves understood.

Meanwhile, the lorry drivers’ strike highlights how the high cost of diesel remains an urgent issue. As the owner of Notess srl, a long-term vehicle hire company, how do you view these measures? 

I welcomed Eni’s move regarding fuels, but we can only reap the benefits if we have European purchasing power. The European Union – which, let us not forget, was founded precisely on agreements concerning energy issues – remains one of the largest markets. We need to stabilise supplies and create an appropriate energy mix. Here too, no one can go it alone.