In February an unprecedented event occurred in the United States. The government efficiency department (Doge) led by Elon Musk in the Trump administration, the same person in charge of carry out those “cuts” that he has staged with the chainsier that Milei gave him, fired 350 officials of the energy department. He had gone his hand so much that he had to rectify to recover specialists in the assembly of nuclear eyelets. The chainsaw Musk has just transferred borders, but he has met Italy.
The controversy in Aviano. It is public and notorious. Elon Musk, known today for his aggressive management and reduction of cost management, has just generated A new international controversy After imposing its productivity control system at the American Avian Air Base, in northern Italy.
An email Aimed at Italian employees The base required that they report five weekly achievements, under threat of dismissal if they did not. This type of measure, already implemented in the United States, has collided fully with the Italian labor system, which guarantees strong protections and rights to its workers. The incident has caused an immediate reaction of the unions, the Italian government and public opinion, triggering a confrontation between the business model of Musk and the labor laws of the European nation.
Musk mail and surprise. The message in question was sent to Aviano Base Employees that work in areas such as restoration, maintenance and logistics, essential services for the functioning of US military facilities in Italy. Although the order was supposed to be aimed at Washington employees, the mail Italian workers were forwardedwhich generated confusion and alarm.
As we said, in Italy the right to work It is constitutionally protected And contracts offer some job stability, so Musk’s demand has been seen as an unacceptable interference. I told New York Times Roberto del Savio, union representative of the employees of the base, his immediate rejection of the directive: “We are in Italy. Here are precise rules, and thank God for it. ”
Not just that. The rejection was not limited only to the workers of Aviano. In total, around 4,000 Italian civil employees They work in US bases in the country, serving 15,000 American soldiers and guaranteeing the operation of facilities that operate as small American peoples on European soil.
@alberico_dip Anch was not vero io gli risponderei così
The Italian labor system. The European country, as we said, has one of the most protected labor systems in Europe. Of course, with his “Peros”, but the laws They guarantee job stabilityunionization and rights that are difficult to modify, especially in the public sector. Unlike the United States, where companies can fire employees with relative ease, in Italy the dismissals are more complicated and require solid legal justifications.
In this regard, Pierpaolo Bombardieri explainedgeneral secretary of the UIL union, which Musk’s mail is “unacceptable and aberrant.” In fact and given the outrage generated, the unions sent letters to the Italian government and the United States embassy demanding clarifications about whether these types of measures could affect Italian workers of the US bases in the country.
What do the bases say. Current norms establish that Italian civilian employees are only obliged to respond to instructions if they come directly from the United States government, not if they are tested emails. However, it is not clear if the Department of Defense plans to extend these productivity control practices to local workers.
Reactions in Italy. The episode has not only generated indignation in the unions, but also became A mockery theme In the nation. The rigidity of the Italian labor system is seen by some as a guarantee of stability, but by others as an obstacle to modernization. For example, right -wing journalist and commentator Nicola Porro wrote on his blog: “Italy would also need Musk’s ax.”
In social networks, a video of the content creator was popularized Alberico di Pasqualewho simulated how an Italian worker would respond to Musk’s mail. Of course, The video went viral Quickly, humorously reflecting many Italians about their work culture and the clash with the vision of extreme productivity of Musk.
Musk, Trump and uncertainty. Beyond the punctual controversy in Aviano, the incident occurs in a context of uncertainty about the commitment of the United States with its military bases in Europe. Trump has insisted that European countries They must assume greater costs In his own defense, which has generated speculation about possible cuts in military bases such as Aviano.
In fact, in parallel to the controversy, the US government froze credit cards Used by Italian employees of Aviano to buy equipment and stopped new hiring. Decisions that have increased concern among workers, who fear that the pressure to reduce costs will end up affecting their jobs. Hence, the words of Emilio Fargnoli, union representative, seem to be the voice of the majority: “Musk can do what he wants in the United States. If there are happy with that, perfect. But here, no. “
Image | Nathan Hughes, Gage Skidmore
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