Pensions ignored by the Chambers but targeted relays emerge

After the European elections and the elections in the municipalities where the runoffs will take place, the political game will return to economic issues, looking at the possible corrective manoeuvre, in the event of the launch of an excessive deficit infringement procedure by Brussels, and, in any case, at the budget law to be passed in October. It will also have to give a clear indication for the aftermath of Quota 103, the pension channel that still this year allows early retirement (albeit in a penalised form) with 62 years of age and 41 contributions. And a further indication will also have to arrive for the post Ape sociale and Opzione donna, given that both these instruments can only be used, at least for the time being, until 31 December this year. The CNEL has decided to form its own working group to draw up a proposal for the reorganisation of the social security system to be submitted, between July and October, to Parliament and the government. Which, so far, seems to have removed the pensions item from the urgent agenda. And in this legislature even the Chambers do not seem to show great sensitivity to the issue, given that the 23 bills presented so far, many on specific topics such as 'equalisation' or aimed at the needs of some specific categories, are all at the stake: often still waiting to be assigned to a committee. And, therefore, with no hope of getting closer to the finishing line. Perhaps a better fate could befall the last of the series, in chronological order, the one presented to the Senate by Fdi's deputy group leader, Raffaele Speranzon, to trigger the 'generational relay' in the environmental services and local public transport companies.

Speranzon, announcing his text, said that 'there has been a need for generational change for years'. He added: 'I have presented a bill to allow these companies to use part of the bilateral sector solidarity funds, set aside at the Inps, to accompany workers in the generational relay process'. According to the Fdi senator, 'the advantage would be twofold: on the one hand it would favour the early retirement of older workers who perform heavy tasks or their transition to part-time work, and on the other hand it would facilitate the hiring of young people under 35'.

There is another Ddl that was assigned to the Chamber of Deputies a few days ago (29 May): it is by the League, first signatory Antonino Minardo, and contains equalisation provisions concerning the calculation of the pension treatment of Armed Forces and Police Force personnel and the National Fire Brigade Corps. The same 'mission' for another Carroccio text presented to the Senate by Stefania Pucciarelli. A similar theme is at the centre, again in the Chamber, of a text (not yet assigned) promoted by Fi with Chiara Tenerini, which introduces equalising provisions on the determination of pension treatment for workers who have been exposed to asbestos.

Four PD proposals are in mothballs in Montecitorio. The first, signed by Valentina Ghio, concerns access to early retirement for certain categories of port workers. The second one (first signatory Stefano Graziano) aims at introducing equalising provisions on the calculation of the pension treatment of personnel of the Armed Forces and Police Force and of the National Fire Brigade Corps. Then there are two proposals by Debora Serracchiani with a broader horizon. Beginning with the one, stalled since 22 October 2022, which aims at an organic reform of social security, paving the way for provisions and delegations on flexible and gradual access to pension treatment. The same fate befell Serracchiani's other organic proposal, which envisages the stabilisation of the Opzione donna channel in the version linked to Decree-Law no. 4 /19 with 58 years of age (59 for self-employed women) and 35 of contributions. In Palazzo Madama, on the other hand, there is almost no trace of two proposals by the current undersecretary of Labour, the Leghist Claudio Durigon: one still on the redefinition of the Women's Option and the other, presented on 13 October 2022, to overcome the Fornero law in the area of early retirement, paving the way for Quota 41. The M5s is pushing, with an 'articulate' promoted by Orfeo Mazzella, to facilitate access to early retirement for medical and health personnel. On the issue of early retirement, but only from a 'sectoral' point of view, there are three other proposals by the Dem deputy Arturo Scotto (maritime workers and travelling personnel of maritime and inland water transport services), by the Fdi deputy Maria Carolina Varchi (drivers of special vehicles of the Ministry of Justice) and by the centrist senator Giorgio Salvitti (workers in the manufacture of explosive material in the context of the manufacture of weapons ammunition). At the stake then are two other texts presented some time ago to the Chamber: the first, again by Serracchiani (PD) on the subject of the contributory obligation of freelance professionals belonging to categories with their own social security fund, and the second by Flavio Tosi (Fi) to review the competences of the Inps board of directors and establish the General Register of Social Assistance.

Another group of six Ddl, all in 'stand by', touch upon social security equalisation or the treatment of certain categories. Starting with the Dem texts signed by Serracchiani (measures for working mothers, working fathers and family caregivers), Chiara Gribaudo (pharmacists' social security scheme) and Stefano Vaccari (local administrators' pensions). The latter is the same theme dealt with by a text by another Dem deputy, Paola De Micheli, while in Palazzo Madama Fdi, with Paolo Silvestroni, looks at the 'equalisation' of the defence, security and public assistance sector, as does the Fi group leader, Maurizio Gasparri. Finally, in Montecitorio, a PD proposal (signed by Luciano D'Alfonso) on war pensions has been filed.