"The first letters will be sent in early February. I give my word." This is the promise of Elsa Fornero, Minister of Labour, regarding the letters addressed to the first expatriates to be safeguarded. These are 65 people who will be allowed to retire with the rules prior to last year's pension reform.
Meanwhile, yesterday a second was published in the Official Journal decree for the protection of another 55 expatriates, who will be able to retire under the old rules. This new audience includes, among others, the workers of the former Fiat plant in Termini Imerese, closed at the end of 2011.
The exodus are certainly the main reason for criticism of the Fornero reform. These are those people who, convinced that they can retire within certain times, have accepted company agreements to leave their job, but then - as a result of the reform - have found themselves no longer having the necessary requisites to access the social security check, thus risking finding yourself without any source of income.
Despite everything, the minister still defends his reform from attacks by the parties, reinvigorated with the start of the electoral campaign: "Everyone forgets that it was born in a climate of dramatic financial crisis," recalled Fornero.
As for the possibility of modifying the other major measure she oversaw – the labor reform - during the next legislature, Fornero has no doubts: “Italy needs to build itself and not go back and demolish itself. I never said that reforms are born perfect. They can be changed while keeping the spirit. The labor reform has many positive points, including apprenticeships. I trust that the Government and Parliament will make changes in the wake of the work done".
