You don't need to deal with industrial relations; it is enough to look around (perhaps by zapping a bit among the myriad of television talk shows that poison the daily life of Italians) to ask oneself a question: does there still exist an organized political-trade union representation in the business world? In other more direct words: what happened to Confindustria? To be polite, we could say that the Viale dell'Astronomia association has taken a few sabbatical years, after which it will return to the scene ''stronger and more vigorous'' than before. The fact is that, in the meantime, no one has taken the place that should belong – in a pluralistic society – to one of the social partners, on which a large part of the well-being and wealth of society depends.
If we were to ''Who has seen it?'' we should start our research from the last appearance of Confindustria on the public scene. Not much time has passed since a conference was held in Milan in which the most important entrepreneurial association gave a endorsement - moreover not requested - for Matteo Renzi in support of the constitutional referendum of 4 December. Today, just a few weeks before the political vote, to take party programs seriously, one has to put one's hands in one's hair: less taxes and more public spending, with the idea, shared from right to left, that assistance guarantees to live even without working (and to retire even without paying contributions, so much a thousand euros a month would arrive anyway).
The electoral campaign agenda is the one dictated by the M5S, which sometimes allows itself to be less irresponsible than the other opposition parties. The taxes and levies whose abolition is promised can no longer be counted: every day that passes a new proposal appears which, in turn, stimulates the imagination of the adversaries in going in search of other frauds following a diabolical and shameless gymkhana, in the absence of a minimum of respect for the electorate to which – in its quality of people-ox – it is believed to be able to tell that the donkeys will start flying. What does Confindustria do in the face of so much decay? He is silent. Oh my God, if you dig through the press agencies you will find some critical and worried press releases: dixi et servavi animam meam. A little, in truth, for an organization that in other times influenced the choices of majorities and governments. Also because no one pays any more attention to what they say in the EUR glass palace. Still, there would be something for all tastes. I imagine that the leaders of Confindustria ran a shiver down their spines in the face of the amendments - fortunately rejected - which would have manipulated the reform of fixed-term contracts.
Then more was added. ''Abolish the Fornero law'': many political forces are now shouting in chorus, at the cost of returning to an unsustainable situation in the pension system. Confindustria pretends not to hear. Why, then, not even abolish the ''jobs act'' which opened (I apologize for the pun) an emergency exit in the direction of greater flexibility, even in the event of termination of the employment relationship? Giamburrasca's nursery rhyme comes to mind: ''Perfect silence to those who speak a slap; whoever says the word goes out of school''. Instead, it would not be useless to make use of the Sole-24ore (one of the most important European business newspapers in serious difficulties that do the publisher's credit) for an opening headline with a huge character (which recalls another one released in November 2011) : BE SERIOUS. After all, Confindustria has long since left the scene. At least since Elsa Fornero - as Minister of Labor in the Monti government - included her in that group of social forces that participated in the definition of the bill for the reform of the labor market which then resulted in law n.92 of 2012. Then, in the legislature that has just closed, when the executives - first Renzi, then Gentiloni - deemed it appropriate to reopen a negotiating table (in particular on social security and welfare) in view of the 2017 and 2018 budget laws, in viale dell' Astronomia has not received any letter of summons. In the meantime, there have been real attacks on the country's economy against Ilva which have put the very need for steel of the national industry in crisis.
Today – while the attempt at a ''final solution'' for what was once the largest steel mill in Europe is underway – there are only the trade unions on the field alongside Minister Carlo Calenda, albeit belatedly. Confindustria – like the stars – is watching. And what about the Finmeccanica case? After years, by the same judicial route that orchestrated the setting up in his time, it is recognized that, in the business of helicopters with India, there was no international corruption. Meanwhile, a jewel of the Italian industrial apparatus had been disgraced in the world and our country, in the midst of the economic crisis, had lost a deal worth hundreds of millions, even putting diplomatic relations with that great country in crisis. But the organization that had the task of assisting Italian businesses and labour, had limited itself, like a public defender, to asking for clemency from the Court. Let's stop here, however, without forgetting that negotiations are underway (yet another) between Confindustria and the historic confederations to outline the architecture of the industrial relations system. The previews tell us that it will be a masterpiece of circle botting, a ''surf'' on the big waves that, as far as bargaining is concerned, have been chasing each other for years: a little on a national level and a little close by; some mediation gizmos – between the chemical and engineering methods – as regards the recovery of purchasing power. I'll let you imagine the rest.
By now the trade union confederations and Confindustria resemble those characters in Pieter Bruegel's paintings who compensate – supporting each other – for each other's infirmities. If they sign up to the agreement they are working towards, they will even be able to reverse the old adage and will be able to solemnly state: primum philosophari, deinde existere.
Source: The work diary.
