Towards a halt to the proposal to reduce working hours for equal pay

The majority, by means of suppressive amendments, aims to scuttle in the Labour Committee of the House the united proposal presented by the opposition parties on the reduction of working hours for equal pay.

The opposition's unified text from the PD, M5S and Avs, which is expected to go to the House on 21 or 28 October, intends to encourage the signing of collective labour agreements to define organisational models involving the progressive reduction of working time to 32 hours per week, for the same wage, accompanied by investments in training and innovation.

Following a pattern already seen on the occasion of the opposition's proposal on the introduction of the legal minimum wage, through suppressive amendments the majority parties aim to suppress the opposition's proposal. "They do not want to discuss the merits: they simply want to delete our proposals," attacks Arturo Scotto (PD), "it is unacceptable," adds M5S leader Giuseppe Conte, "we presented the proposal for the reduction of working hours, and unfortunately there is already a suppressive amendment by the majority.

The normal working time is set at 40 hours per week, but collective labour agreements may set a shorter duration for contractual purposes and relate the normal working time to the average duration of work over a period not exceeding one year. The proposal presented by the opposition provides, in support of private employers who sign these contracts, for the 36 months following the entry into force of the law, an exemption from the payment of social security contributions for them, proportional to the working time and up to 30%, excluding premiums and contributions due to Inail. For small and medium-sized enterprises, the exemption is 50%. For heavy and arduous work, the exemption rises to 60 per cent. Agricultural work and domestic work are excluded