“We are fed up of seeing many poor, precarious jobs that condemn young people, especially in the south, to unbearably precarious conditions,” the head of the opposition, centre-left party said.
She said that the measures the government was set to pass would “strengthen the use of temporary contracts”.
She also said they would make it possible to expand the use of so-called vouchers to pay for occasional work.
The voucher system had been abolished, due to concerns it was being exploited by some employers and used to pay for long-term and sometimes steady jobs, rather than occasional gigs.
The government has brought the labour vouchers back, saying they are needed for seasonal work in the tourism and agriculture sectors.
Schlein said vouchers amounted to the “most miserable form of employment contract”.
She also reiterated her assertion that Italy needs to introduce a minimum wage.
President Sergio Mattarella, meanwhile on Saturday, highlighted the need to address widespread job insecurity on the Italian labour market ahead of the May Day national holiday dedicated to workers.
“Precariousness as a system clashes with the goals of growth and development,” Mattarella said during a visit to Reggio Emilia.
He linked the problem to the fact that the proportion of people who are active on the labour market in Italy is lower than the European average.
Mattarella said the labour was “the engine of growth and social cohesion of the (Italian) Republic”.
The head of State also referred to the problem of in-work poverty.
“Work is a sign of dignity because it is closely linked to each person's life project,” he said, adding that people should not give in to the temptation to accept “the idea that there can be poor jobs, with remuneration that does not allow one to lead a decent existence”.
The president also drew attention to the problem of deaths in the workplace, saying these “destroy lives, plunge families into despair, and cause irreversible damage, with unacceptable human costs”.
ANSA
