(Finance) – It has opened today in Rome, until June 27th next, the V UGL Confederal Congress“The Future is Work” to renew the management bodies and indicate the new challenges of the future of the labor market. At the center of the debate there will also be the issues oftechnological innovation and of theartificial intelligencejust as it will be important to discuss the role of the union in protecting workers in the years to come.
For the President of the Senate Ignazio La Russa: “The Accidents at work are an unacceptable plague which must be faced no longer with only condolences but by going in fact to counteract what cannot be considered a fatality. Throughout its history, the UGL has carried forward the workers’ requests without distinctions and prejudices. I remember the battles of CISNAL to invoke equal dignity for any job. There are no series A or series B jobs and this awareness is in UGL’s DNA. The challenges we face are ambitious. If the future is work then let’s build it together with pride and responsibility.”
“I thank the UGL because it is a union with a straight back that says no when it is necessary and says yes in the exclusive interest of the workers. Only in Italy are there some unions that out of pure ideology are against infrastructure. It is fundamental intensify the opening of construction sites and, at the same time, there cannot be a daily massacre of workers. In this sense, the battle that UGL has been carrying out for years is crucial” he declared Matteo Salvini, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport. “They await us serious challenges and I hope to have the UGL at my side to put an end to that climate of hostility which is bad for work. I count that we will be together to defend workers’ rights in European offices. Environmental sustainability must go hand in hand with economic and social sustainability, the Green Deal cannot be at the expense of jobs.”
For Antonio Tajani, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation: “The Government is strongly committed to doing its part to combating the scourge of accidents at workwith marked interventions prevention, training and awareness and with a strong action to combat irregularities. There safety in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility: Institutions, unions, businesses and individuals. In this spirit, since the beginning of my mandate, I have wanted to establish an assiduous and fruitful dialogue with all the unions that represent the interests of the workers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the belief that their psycho-physical well-being and their safety are an absolute necessity. Trade union relations are a cornerstone of our institutional architecture and our democratic structure, a privileged channel for preventing and resolving divergences or conflicts thanks to in-depth dialogue and constructive discussion. I wish this Congress the best success, hoping that new ideas and innovation proposals can arise from it to be concretely introduced into the Italian and European labor market for the benefit of members and the entire country”.
“What we celebrate today at the V UGL Confederal Congress is the beginning of a phase in which every manager, every confederal secretary, and every category and territorial secretary is called to face the new challenges that await us. ‘Work is the future’ means work that takes into account workers’ rights, which gives the possibility of attending training and retraining courses, which can become not the exclusivity of machines, but which puts the human personality at the centre” he said Paolo Capone, General Secretary of the UGLin the opening speech.
“Furthermore – he added – workplace safety is a national priority. Companies must take responsibility for the safety of their employees and offer adequate assistance in case of accidents at work. It is necessary to invest in prevention and training to address the tragedy of fatal accidents at work, while strengthening controls and sanctions. A fundamental aspect for relaunching welfare is investing in active labor policies that also improve the skills and employability of the workforce. With determined commitment and effective cooperation, we can create a future where all workers have access to decent work and a dignified life. UGL is ready to take on this challenge and to work tirelessly to ensure that no one is left behind. Our mission is to meet these challenges with determination and vision, ensuring that the union remains a fundamental pillar in defending workers’ rights and promoting social progress.”
“I extend a warm greeting to the UGL union and to all those who every day they fight to defend workers’ rights. The UGL has always been a pillar in protecting workers’ requests without prejudice and reasoning on solutions, regardless of the color of the Governments. The theme of responsibility is central in an increasingly complex world”. This is what the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida. “Italy is a unique nation that has an invaluable cultural heritage. The Mattei Plan adopted by the Government goes in the direction of stemming illegal immigration, investing in the extraordinary potential of the African continent. Italy has the duty to make its knowledge and skills available to promote the development of the nations with which it interacts. Must review flow regulations to encourage regular work and combat unacceptable phenomena such as gangmastering and exploitation”.
Giuseppe Valditara, Minister of Education and Merit, declared: “With the UGL union we share values and objectives, thanks also to constant dialogue with intermediate groups to work on schools as a strategic sector for the country. The result of our meetings always enriches me and gives me the drive and enthusiasm to continue working in the service of education and culture”.
Second Adolfo Urso, Minister of Business and Made in Italy: “There are 24 million people employed in April 2024, an all-time high with 516 thousand more workers compared to the same period in 2023. The number of people employed and also the workforce are increasing with an ever-increasing involvement of the female component. In fact, from November 2022 to today, over 300 thousand more women actively participate in the job market and over 400 thousand have found a job. These are successes of which the Government is proud and also with the help of the unions we have overcome those forms of welfare that do not lead to real growth. In this sense, in a continuous and respectful discussion of roles, we have shared with the social partners a new approach to industrial policy, capable of ensuring a long-lasting and sustainable growth path for our economy”.
Paolo Zangrillo, Minister for Public Administrationdeclared: “The UGL is an authoritative protagonist in the history of Italian trade unions, the dialogue with the union is an indispensable asset for creating a working context where people feel at ease. In recent years, trades and professions are changing, even driven by new technologies and for this reason new skills in the PA are increasingly necessary. A path that sees individuals as the starting point, a true driver of innovation, which is crucial for social organizations consolidate and cultivate dialogue with workers’ representatives. We have recently implemented a series of initiatives aimed at recruiting and training PA staff, thanks to a general rethinking of insolvency procedures to make them more streamlined and digitalised. The real challenge is focus on the quality of our people, through the development of skills to guarantee services to citizens that meet their expectations”.
Second Francesco Paolo Sisto, Deputy Minister of Justice: “It is necessary to reform safety at work to stem the accidents which represent a plague in our country, together with the trade union forces it is necessary to rewrite a page on safety at work that can prevent accidents. In this regard, the companies must be more rigorous and make safety an advantage for everyone workers. As if it were a great team between businesses and workers to avoid similar tragedies. Sanctions are necessary, but it is more important to save a human life than to punish those who have made mistakes.”
For Francesco Battistoni, Secretary of the Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies: “The Confederal Congress is the highest, most democratic and important statutory act involving the union because it outlines the results achieved, but above all outlines future goals. On this, the General Secretary Paolo Capone has demonstrated his ability to grasp the transformations of the labor market by bringing to institutional tables social and corporate welfare measures in step with the changes in society. The greatness of the union lies in this capacity. That of being a social force with which to dialogue and discuss with the common objective of giving positive and concrete responses to workers and businesses”.
In addition to the Deputy Secretaries General of the UGL Luigi Ulgiati And Luca Malcottithe Confederal and National Secretaries of the UGL, among others, spoke at the UGL Confederal Congress; Carlo FidanzaMEP; Susanna CeccardiMEP; Claudio DurigonUndersecretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies; Roberta AngelilliVice President of the Lazio Region; Lamberto GianniniPrefect of Rome; Angelo Raffaele MargiottaConfsal General Secretary; Francesco CavallaroCisal General Secretary; Tiziana BocchiUil Confederal Secretary; Francesco SinopoliCGIL Confederal Secretary; Luigi SbarraGeneral Secretary of CISL.