Labor Day, new approaches to employment
On May 1st, Labor Day, we remember the value of work. “In Alto Adige we are fortunate to have full employment,” explained the president of the Province, Arno Kompatscher. “The relative labor shortage is evident in many sectors and requires new approaches from employers, social partners and legislators.” According to Kompatscher, the issue of wages in line with the cost of living is in the foreground. This is also one of the key points of the Council’s programme, in which politics can only create the framework conditions for the private sector. “The Provincial Council’s proposal for IRAP benefits to companies that pay their employees more than what is foreseen by the national collective agreement was welcomed positively by the unions,” explained the president. “Now it is up to the union representatives to actively contribute and give shape to this provision”.
The provincial councilor for Work and Personnel, Magdalena Amhof, also commented on this topic: “Work is a source of livelihood and a prerequisite for the implementation of social rights. Work should also be a path to personal fulfillment. Work and private life must be compatible and remuneration must allow workers and their families to have a dignified standard of living,” said Amhof. We are currently trying to adjust salaries in the public sector through the upcoming negotiations for the collective labor agreement in the public sector. However, adequate pay also means paying the same work fairly and overcoming the differences in economic treatment between men and women. Differences that are still clearly perceptible in both the public and private sectors, as demonstrated by the latest ASTAT analyses.
President Kompatscher then cited affordable housing as a second point, also included in the council’s programme: “It is a problem for workers when a large part of their income has to be used for housing costs”, he said Kompatscher. “We must join forces to combat this phenomenon.” Affordable housing is also a key requirement for retaining labor. The Provincial Government wants to adopt measures in this regard as much as possible. “This is an example of the many measures we need to take to make existing jobs more attractive. In times of strong competition for jobs, this is the objective that public and private employers must have in common, so that Alto Adige can continue to be an attractive place for qualified or specialized personnel in the most varied sectors ”, concluded Amhof.
Workers’ Day also wants to celebrate all those who provide countless services every day with commitment, professionalism and dedication, which benefit everyone and make South Tyrol an attractive place to live.
Photo, Arno Kompatscher and Magdalena Amhof/c-Greta Stuefer
