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Italian Economic and Labour Council (CNEL) rejects minimum wage

Labor law

Italian Economic and Labour Council (CNEL) rejects minimum wage

On 12 October 2023, the CNEL (Italian Economic and Labour Council, which has consultative functions) rejected the proposal for a minimum wage of 9 euros. The preliminary work and analyses carried out by the CNEL have made it clear that the introduction of a statutory minimum wage would not solve the major problem of in-work poverty, which goes far beyond the issue of wages.

Rather, in-work poverty is about the volume of work done by those in precarious and temporary employment, the composition of income within the household and the redistribution measures of the state. However, for foreign readers in particular, it should be made clear that this decision does not mean that workers in Italy do not enjoy protection in terms of wages. This is not only because the Italian Constitution regulates the right to a fair and adequate wage, but above all because collective bargaining is very active. In fact, the CNEL believes that the latter should be favoured and strengthened, emphasising the importance of controls and supervisory intervention, especially in the areas of bogus self-employment.