The Government keeps the promises made over the last few months and launches the squeeze on the now famous "crafty of the card".
Employees of the Public Administration who stamp their badge and then leave or who have their time-card stamped by a colleague present in the workplace, while they are engaged in other activities, may be fired in 30 days.
This afternoon's Council of Ministers (17.30 pm) will approve the implementing decree of the Madia reform presented last January which aims to reduce a malpractice implemented by some "zealous" public sector workers.
Going into detail, the provision provides that an employee caught in the act while stamping the time card for himself or a colleague and then leaving will be suspended by the manager within 48 hours. With the start of the suspension, the "crafty" in question will also be deprived of his salary, benefiting only from a "food allowance", equal to half of the basic salary.
Once the disciplinary procedure has been initiated and the Prosecution Office has been informed, the employee will have 15 days to prepare his defence.
Finally, a further two weeks are foreseen to complete the preliminary investigation, at the end of which the dismissal could take place. But there's more, because based on the provisions of the decree, the absentee worker risks not only losing his job, but also having to pay the State for image damage for an amount equal to at least six months' salary . The amount will be decided by a judge also on the basis of the prominence that the conduct of the "crafty" has had in the media.
The definitive version of the text cancels the automatism relating to the criminal liability of the manager. If the latter pretends not to notice the conduct of his subordinate or does not immediately start the disciplinary proceedings against him, he may be suspended and denounced for omission of official acts. However, there will be no direct connection, the decision will be up to the judges.
