Meal vouchers and salary increases for teachers and ATA: the point of the situation – INTERVIEW with M. Pacifico
In recent months, the theme of meal vouchers per teachers and ATAhas returned to the center of the debate, highlighting unequal treatment compared to other categories of the public sector. At the same time, the salary increases recently announced were judged largely insufficient to deal with inflation and the rising cost of living, fueling the discontent of school staff. To take stock of this delicate situation, we interviewed Marcello Pacifico, president of Aniefwho answered some questions.
Meal vouchers for teachers and ATA: the current situation
President, the issue of meal vouchers is deeply felt among school workers. There has been talk several times about the intention to grant these benefits to ATA staff: is there any news?
There is an agenda on meal vouchers that was approved during the approval of the Budget Law which commits the Government to evaluating the opportunity to also provide them for school staff. We remind you that school staff, in the Public Administration, are the only ones excluded from this rule. We also quantified them at 13.40 euros per day. We must think, for example, that for the private metalworker contract the figure can even double. Therefore, for us at Anief, it is a sacrosanct thing that concerns not only the ATA staff, but also the teachers.
Could the arrival of food stamps partially compensate for the insufficient increase in salaries?
Meal vouchers cannot make up for what is missing salary increases. Meal vouchers are the minimum wage which is also required by a European Directive. Only that the Directive in question says that it is up to negotiation and the Government to establish the resources in the Budget Law, and then proceed with the negotiation. This is why in the last contract, despite we insisted on getting meal vouchers until the last available day for signing the contract. But, as there was not the necessary coverage, it was not possible to introduce them.
Contract increases do not yet meet inflation. It is also true that there is planning for the next three years, just as it is true that the distance that was created between the school staff and the public administration staff occurred with the 2016/2018 contract, when Anief was not still representative and when a contract was formed which caused the school employees alone to lose more than 7 thousand euros, compared to the other employees of the Ministries.
In the subsequent contract, which we also signed, we also tried to recover the money compared to inflation. We have unlocked and updated many things, such as the additional salary or the DSGA allowance. It is clear that the resources still do not cover the inflation that is planned. However, we are confident that in the coming years, the Government will replenish the Fund to recover from inflation and above all continue to do as in the previous contract, in which half a million more was allocated for school staff. We hope and believe that we must continue to proceed in this way, so as to gradually close the gap with other public employees.
Foundations for the future
What are you planning to do as Anief?
We have activated the contractual holiday allowance. It must be remembered that when the contract has expired, the IVC is released. Each month is an increase, which by law should be 50% of the cost of inflation. We say it should, because unfortunately it’s not like that on the paycheck. For this reason we have launched pilot appeals in court and have made available a warning to interrupt the limitation period. Finally, I remember that also 2013after the Supreme Court ruling, is recoverable for all purposes for one’s career. However, it is necessary to activate recovery procedures.
