After almost seven years, the leadership of the CISL changes. Luigi Sbarra took the place of Annamaria Furlan as general secretary of the Italian Confederation of Workers' Unions. He was elected by the general council of the association, which met today in Rome, with 168 votes in favor out of 173.
The election takes place in sign of continuity. Last February, Furlan herself named Sbarra, who had also wanted him as assistant secretary in 2018. "I pass the baton into safe hands– he said-, he will work for young people, for women, he will give dignity to weak and fragile workers”.
Calabrian, sixty-one years old, Sbarra was elected assistant general secretary of the Cisl on March 28 three years ago, receiving the powers on the labor market, bargaining, industry and representation.
In these months of pandemic “we have reached the peak of over 9 million people in layoffs and we run the risk of losing hundreds of thousands of jobs in 2021″, after "the almost 500" already lost in the last year, says the new secretary general in his report after the election, indicating among the objectives" to be pursued “immediately the full implementation of the vaccination plan and the extension of social protections, starting with the extension of the block on layoffs, shock absorbers and Covid indemnities”.
Speaking of the Government, the new number one of the CISL acknowledged that "the authority of the Prime Minister allowed the realignment of political forces in a field of concord, which we truly hope will not be animated by ephemeral tactics”.
"It takes a long look to give depth to the path of innovation - he added -, involving all responsible political and social actors, respecting everyone's autonomy, converging on shared targets".
Sbarra also spoke of the need to stipulate a new deal which "allows Italy to finally arrive at a development model that combines solidarity and competitiveness, participation and productivity". "The agenda of this Agreement must be written together, opening up new spaces for elaboration and social protagonism - he observes - Fully involving those who, like the union, experience proximity and know the problems of the territories, communities, workers and families".
