498 thousand members, once again increasing, over 5800 delegates, 293 offices: they are the numbers of CGIL Toscana which turns 50 today (was founded in Florence on 21 June 1974) and celebrates them (together with representatives of the institutions, economic categories, trade unions, civil society) in a historic workplace now reconverted, the Sammontana furnace, in Montelupo Fiorentino.
“50 years represents an important milestone, we want to see it as a starting point for new achievements for work, which in recent years has been hit and debased, for progress and social justice and for sustainable development of Tuscany. There is still a lot to fight for, there is a government that makes bad choices that needs to be countered: we are in the field collecting signatures for the referendums on work against the Jobs Act and precariousness and for safety, we will mobilize against the premiership, an unprecedented and unparalleled verticalization of power in Western democracies, and differentiated autonomy, a counter-reform that hurts the whole country by worsening inequalities. We will also use the tool of referendums against differentiated autonomy, together with many comrades and traveling companions”. said the general secretary Rossano Rossi, interviewed at Fornace by Lucia Aterini.
Before the interview with Rossi, the president of Ires Maurizio Brotini illustrated some studies on work in Tuscany. In the morning, in addition to the screening of a video celebrating the anniversary, the interventions of Eugenio Giani and Maurizio Landini. The day, hosted on stage by Daniela Morozzialso features two performances by Gaia Nanni, the award ceremony (with a work by Sergio Staino) of the secretaries (or their families) who have led the CGIL Toscana in these 5 decades (in chronological order: Gianfranco Bartolini, Gianfranco Rastrelli, Oriano Cappelli, Guido Sacconi, Franco Martini, Luciano Silvestri, Alessio Gramolati, Dalida Angelini) and the awarding of the journalistic prize Nazzareno Bisogni. A competition organized by Cgil Toscana and Tuscany Press Association with the patronage ofOrder of Journalists of Tuscany, now in its second edition, aimed at journalists under 35 who have presented works on social issues, with which we want to remember the historic head of the press office of the CGIL Toscana (the prize consists of 2 thousand euros and a souvenir parchment). This year, in the section Textual works Azzurra Giorgi was awarded for the article Narim’s journey at 12 years old alone from Eritrea to here, published in Repubblica Firenze on 5 October 2023; for the section Audiovisual Laura Bonaiuti was awarded for the video report Queuing for a hot mealbroadcast on Rtv 38 channels on 11-15-2023). CGIL, AST and ODG they explained: “Almost two years after his passing, Nazzareno’s presence still remains strong and present in all of us, with this award we continue to carry forward his memory and his example by doing it in the way he believed, that is, trying to enhance the work of young journalists”.
At the Fornace, the platforms for signing for the CGIL referendums on work and the display of the panel exhibition are clearly visible, which retraces the 50 years of the CGIL Toscana, with materials from the historical archive, curated by Stefano Bartolini (director of the Valore Lavoro Foundation and head of the CGIL Toscana documentation centre), with Preview graphic design.
Studies
Low wages and precarious employment, even in Tuscany
Between 1992 and 2022, average German and French real wages recorded very sustained growth – +22.9% and 31.6% respectively -, while Italian and Spanish ones were characterized by long-term stagnation, recording, respectively, a decrease – -0.9% – and a zero change
35% of employees in the private (non-agricultural) sectors in Tuscany are part-time, 46.5% have discontinuous work (less than 52 weeks on an annual basis) and only 39.8% are full-time throughout the year. Not only that: 58% of all the workers described above earn less than 15,000 euros gross. He says Maurizio Brotini, president of Ires Toscana: “Low wages, those for which one is poor despite working, therefore depend both on the precariousness of the job and on the lack of full time, and on the growth of jobs with lower incomes than the average industrial ones. GDP per capita: if in 2000 Tuscany occupied the 51st position among the regions of Europe, in 2021 it drops to 99th, losing 48 positions: the worst decline after that of Umbria which loses 62, going from 75th to 137th position. Veneto drops 36 positions, going from 38th to 74th position”.
The survey on work in Tuscany
The Futura Observatory – Di Vittorio Foundation produced a type of quantitative survey in the period 1 January – 31 May 2024 on the Tuscan media in order to detect: newsworthiness of the topic of work in the media; issues relating to work in the media; the mood conveyed by the media regarding the topic of work. By monitoring, analyzing and skimming the occurrences, it emerges that a large portion of the results under investigation cuts across multiple areas: for 23% the topic of work is in news and culture/tourism, for 15% in politics, for 10% in economics, 6% in entertainment, 4% in sport. The issue most related to work concerns workplace safety and deaths at work (36%), followed by initiatives and protests (32%, equal to 19+13), job opportunities (21%), discrimination and precarious employment (5%) , investigations (4%). And what is the mood conveyed by the media regarding the topic of work? 50% indignation, 36% hope, 3% concern, 5% optimism. The method used for the study is the Wosm method (World open source monitoring)a unique system of data capture, selection, processing, analysis and management designed to allow complex realities an effective and unified control of big data relating to both internal sources (call centers, files, databases) and external (TV, press, radio, websites, social networks), structured and unstructured.
The Futura Observatory and the Di Vittorio Foundation have also explored the role of work in Tuscany in building individual and collective identities. From the results of the survey emerges the relevance with respect to the answers to many key questions of being a man or a woman or part of the three different age groups under 35 years of age, between 35 and 55 years of age, and over 55 years of age. When asked about satisfaction with their work, the Tuscan sample (600 interviewees, over 18) responded as follows: only 31% (with various levels) satisfied, 69% not satisfied; and the under 35 age group is especially dissatisfied. When asked whether they believe that people in Tuscany earn enough, the “no” are not as prevalent as we might expect (53% compared to 47%). Probably, considering that here we are referring to overall earnings and in our previous survey to income from employment in the private sector, the answer is the average of very different dynamics with respect to wage trends compared to income and income of other kinds. An indicator of this is the profound gender difference in favor of men between those who answered “yes” and generational, where only 16% of those under 35 years old responded positively. In fact, when asked whether there is a problem of employment or low wages in Tuscany, only 7% replied that there is no problem, 33% that there is an employment problem, 31% of wages and 29% both. The lack of balance between time for work and time for oneself is the other element that appears unequivocally: only 11% believe that there is, compared to 28% who responded negatively, and among those who believe that there is the vast majority are men and no younger than 35 years old. And job uncertainty weighs much more heavily than workload than emotional stress related to work. A significant aspect is that here it is not the youngest who suffer from uncertainty, but the group between 35 and 55; the situation is reversed due to emotional stress which is the most pervasive element of attrition in the under 35 age group. Finally, to the question “do you think the union is useful and effective in defending the rights of workers?”, 23% believe it is fundamental, 29% very much, 21% quite a bit, and 27% a little or not at all . The majority of those interviewed widely believe that the union is useful and effective. “A fact that loads us with responsibility but which confirms us in our daily action and in our long thoughts, never resigned in the face of what exists”, explained Brotini.
