Gyms and swimming pools closed: SOS from Barelli, Malagò and government workers

One of the first to sense the imminence of the crisis in the sector following the halts in activities to deal with what was "only" an epidemic at the time, was Paolo Barelli, president of the Italian Swimming Federation, who asked, in an open letter, for urgent measures to support the sport economy on a national basis. Now it is Giovanni Malago, president of Coni, to interpret the requests of all operators in the sector, asking the Government to also include the sport sector, both professional and amateur, in the announced economic support plan designed to compensate for the inconvenience and emergencies due to the Coronavirus.

The risk is very high, because, due to the prolonged stop, the functioning of the impianti is questioned by huge management costs. Both small and large towns fear failure. The assumption only increases everyone's fears workers in the sector, many of which are precarious or with a VAT number.

Yet, without the contribution of personal trainers, instructors, trainers, maintenance technicians, no plant could work. The personnel and technical staff of swimming pools and gyms is the essential raw material to be able to carry on any educational or recreational activity. Not to mention the educational role in the introduction to sport that the teachers of the various disciplines carry out. In this sense, these workers are an integral part of the Italian culture.

Among other things, operators in the sports sector are not currently protected at the social security level neither by sports clubs, nor by the State. Their only livelihood is work performance.

It must be for this reason that a game started onlineinitiative aimed at raising political awareness towards a category of workers too often overlooked. "We fully understand the ongoing health emergency - reads the appeal - however we ask the Government to promote actions that help our sporting reality to peacefully pursue what has been our main work up to now, carried out with any athlete of any level”.

Specifically, the signatories ask: 

• The establishment at the Ministry of Economy and Finance of a "utility fund” for the economic recovery of sports facilities
• The reduction of the payment of installation fees public and private
• The establishment of a fund to compensate the costs incurred for the insurance coverage of members (accidents and civil liability) by companies registered in the CONI national register, in relation to the emergency period
• La reduction of utility costs (electricity, water, gas) for associations and companies that manage sports facilities
• The temporary suspension of TARI and TASI fees for sports venues
• The temporary suspension of tax obligations for VAT numbers used in the sector
• The subsidy of a monthly minimum in all cases where the sports compensation represents thesole source of income established
• The suspension of association loans sports and VAT numbers

It is often said that those who work in the world of sport only do it for pure and deep passion and this is very true, but - the promoters of the initiative are keen to point out - there cannot and must not exist such a clear disparity in treatment between workers, if all these professional figures were kept out of the protection programs that the Government wants to think and implement.

Another appeal, meanwhile, is what comes from the so-called SSDs, or the Amateur Sports Clubs, who ask to be treated like other economic operators.

At the moment, the Minister for youth policies and sport, Vincent Spadafora, is informed on the matter and, through his press office, declared: "We are working to extend the redundancy fund and provide for a contribution for the self-employed, collaborators and VAT numbers, but we still have to verify the numbers".