The controversy over vouchers does not subside. Job vouchers designed to pay for ancillary work services have rightfully entered the center of the year-end debate. After the data published by INPS, according to which 2016 million coupons were sold in the period between January and October 121,5 (+32,3% compared to the same period in 2015%), a real record, on the Minister of Labor Giuliano Poletti intervened in the matter to promise future changes.
Changes which, however, are not enough for the unions according to which the vouchers would have become only a tool aimed at encouraging the precariousness and the exploitation of thousands of workers. For this reason, one of the questions dethe referendum on the jobs act proposed by the CGIL, on the admissibility of which the Constitutional Court will express itself on January 11th, concerns precisely the abolition of the tickets for ancillary work. The other two instead concern the return to article 18 and co-responsibility in contracts.
He's also there to have his say on the hottest topics of the last period Maurizio Del Conte, number one of Anpal, the National Agency for Active Labor Policies which, in an interview with Corriere della Sera, admits the need to amend the current regulations in order to reduce numbers and prevent abuse. However, according to Del Conte, the total repeal requested by the unions would be a mistake. Why? Because the vouchers "have the merit of bringing out services that were previously only done off-the-books". Remodulate, take a step back and go back to the original rules that made this tool usable only under certain conditions. “Some sectors, such as construction, could be expressly excluded – suggests Matteo Renzi's former consultant in the context of the interview with Corriere – We must prevent vouchers from being used instead of more stable contracts. A few weeks ago, using the vouchers, the Municipality of Naples promoted a maintenance plan for its assets. We went too far."
Changes that should be made regardless of the verdict of the Consulta on the referendum which, as previously mentioned, will also concern the possible return of the article 18. An error, according to Del Conte, which could even lead to an increase in layoffs and job insecurity.
“In Italy there has been a threshold effect – explains the manager – many companies have kept themselves under 16 employees precisely to avoid article 18 and reintegration into the workplace. If yes won, the ceiling would return and indeed it would become lower, 5 employees ".
A condition that would push companies to reduce their workforce in order to respect the new ceiling, also causing an increase in fixed-term contracts and false collaborations.
In short, the risk is that, going back to the past and promoting even more stringent rules, the opposite result will be obtained compared to the one hoped for.
Returning to the vouchers, according to rumors, the Gentiloni government would be ready to squeeze: roofs down, checks and sanctions up against those who abuse it. However, before establishing in detail the changes to be implemented, we need to wait for the first traceability monitoring which will be released shortly. The aim is to understand if the news arrived in October (obligation to send text messages or emails for the employer) has worked as a deterrent. Then the decision of the Consulta will come. The least likely option is for the constitutional judges to declare all three questions admissible. However, according to forecasts, only the proposal relating to the abolition of vouchers could pass. At that point, change will no longer be an option, but an obligation.
