The Lower House on Thursday approved a motion to suspend for 60 days examination of the minimum wage bill. Opposition MPs shouted “shame” as the suspension of the minimum wage bill was approved.
On Thursday, the centre-right coalition gained a victory by suspending the examination of a minimum wage bill. The bill, introduced by almost all of the opposition parties, proposed a €9 per hour minimum wage.
The ruling majority has put its path through parliament on ice, having initially moved to quash it completely.
Opposition lawmakers shouted “shame” as the suspension was approved. The votes were 168 votes in favour of suspension, 128 against and three abstentions.
Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein said the ruling coalition “runs away when faced with a real problem.
“We are open to dialogue, but not to indefinite delays,” Schlein told the House.
“The ruling majority is saying it couldn’t care less about people’s suffering”.
Ex-premier and 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Giuseppe Conte said Meloni’s comments about being open to dialogue about a minimum wage ended up being “just words”.
“I say it to you right now,” Conte said. “Don’t turn up in October with crafty proposals that seek to create a rift between underpaid workers.
“While mortgages, petrol and shopping spending rise, there are people who work morning to night for four or five euros (an hour) gross,” he added.
“(Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio) Tajani has said that this is a Soviet-style measure. He should know that 21 out of the 27 EU countries have adopted this solution.
“Today the legal minimum wage is postponed until after the summer in the hope that the Italian people forget about it”.
This follows the suspension of the citizen’s welfare payment for many families at the end of last week.
