On the reform of the labor market, the Government will not bend. Words from Mario Monti, at the end of another day of negotiations with the social partners: «Regarding article 18 we have perceived widespread concern, on which I would like to reassure everyone - he underlined -, that the layoffs track can be abused with of discrimination. The Government is committed to ensuring that this risk does not occur, because our duty is to avoid discrimination with a minimum of attention to the drafting. I am committed to this."
Monti's problem is finding a balance between the trade unions, which defend the workers' statute, Confindustria, which asks not to weaken the reform, and the majority parties, which are positioned at the antipodes on the central question of article 18.
Minister Elsa Fornero specified that the Government on article 18 «is not going backwards. If anything, he takes steps forward ». «We do not abolish the guarantees of the workers' statute – she added – but we intervene only on some institutions linked to dismissal. And to those who argue that the reform is not well balanced, I reply that evidently we have not received suggestions as valid as our proposal. If there are any, we will provide." The minister then illustrated the progress made in the last few hours in refining the text underlying the reform: "It is not true that we will penalize younger workers - she reiterated - on the contrary, we want to reduce precariousness and enhance permanent contracts".
