Among the most urgent and important tasks, the new government will have to deal with a "minor" but of a certain political importance for the ILVA of Taranto the resulting implications. We are talking about Legislative Decree 221 of 2016, which modifies some rules of the Italian Naval Register with the aim of defending (and extending) the employment of Italian or, in any case, EU workers. The provision, signed at the time by the PD senator Roberto Cociancich, would impose the obligation to embark only EU personnel on the ferries registered in the Register, which carry out cabotage voyages, including those which follow or precede an international voyage, without the possibility of agreeing exceptions with trade unions. The text was sent to the EU which should respond by 11 June, after which the decree could become operational. Except that the President of Confitarma Mario Mattioli and the secretary of Uiltrasporti Paolo Fantappiè, express some doubts on the effectiveness of the measure.
On the contrary, they express concern that it could produce opposite results to those desired because on the same route shipowners registered in foreign registers would not be bound to hire only Italians (or EU citizens) but could even have only non-EU citizens. With the result of reducing the competitiveness of Italian shipping and with the risk of encouraging their escape under other flags and the loss of "Italian" jobs which in the sector concerned, mixed cabotage traffic, number around 2000. The president of Assoarmatori, the association born recently from a split of Confitarma, Stefano Messina instead argues that the Decree in question is "useful for clarifying the use of seafarers on national cabotage". One thing is certain, leaving our "International Register" would impose burdens and tiring procedures on Italian shipowners: this seems to be the card on which the bureaucratic apparatus of the powerful but gray Ministry of Infrastructure is aiming, which pushes many operators in the sector to claim the reconstitution of the defunct Ministry of Merchant Marine.
Perhaps it would be appropriate that in an institutional forum, with the involvement of the social partners and before making the decree operational, an in-depth examination of the merits of the substantial aspects of the provision were carried out, on the validity or otherwise of the feared negative consequences and on the possible measures for avoid them. The question takes on a certain political value because one of the strategic horizons of any next government (even more so if Matteo Salvini's League were part of it) will also be that of defending "Italian" work compatibly with the rules of the European Union and International Law. But it is a very delicate matter on which demagoguery must be banned and which requires balance and competence. Our country has often committed the sin of self-destructive development policies. This is a luxury we can no longer afford.
