«The Meloni government has invested a lot in the last three years, especially in the South and in Calabria. I’m thinking of the almost 3.8 billion for the state road 106, the investments in the high-speed railway, the modernization works of the motorway, the Trasversale delle Serre, the ports, starting from Gioia Tauro”. This was said by the undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for the South, Lugi Sbarra, in Catanzaro to participate in a conference on the topic of “Work-infrastructures-Zes”.
“In perspective – added Sbarra – the construction of the Bridge over the Strait remains a great priority for this government. As soon as we have the official nature of the findings raised by the Court of Auditors, the government will respond because the Bridge, in addition to being a large and important engineering work, will connect Sicily and Calabria to better connect the South with the rest of the country and with Europe. The Bridge then attracts further resources to modernize our communication routes”.
“We must create the conditions to ensure the protection and safeguarding of all jobs.” This was said by the undersecretary for the South, Luigi Sbarra, meeting the representatives of the CGIL, CISL, UIL and UGL unions in the prefecture of Catanzaro on the Telecontact dispute, which involves almost 1,600 workers. The meeting was promoted by the prefect of the Calabrian capital, Castrese De Rosa. “An intense dialogue is underway – added Sbarra – between Calabrian institutions, trade union organizations and workers. I have already spoken about the dispute with Minister Urso” asking him “maximum attention to the matter”.
The undersecretary confirmed that «on Monday 24 November, at 3pm, a meeting is scheduled at the Ministry of Business to find a positive solution, which ensures continuity of employment and the maintenance of services». Representatives of the client Tim and the trade unions will participate in the meeting. “I am committed – continued the undersecretary – to ensuring that no job is lost. We are talking, among other things, about a precious occupation: 80% of the 1,600 employees are in the South and 80% are women. The government is committed to increasing job opportunities with instruments such as the Zes and new investments to raise the employment rate, especially among women. The objective is to safeguard the production perimeters and the good employment. In Telecontact there are skills and professionalism that must be consolidated and valorised. The outcome of this dispute will be defined at the ministerial table, on the basis of the positions that Tim will take and the contribution of the Calabria Region, as happened in the Abramo Customer Car dispute, can be decisive”.
«On differentiated autonomy, the government is committed to strengthening national unity and territorial cohesion». This was stated by the undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for the South, Lugi Sbarra.
“The theme of autonomy – adds Sbarra – was introduced with the reform of Title V of the Constitution, preliminary agreements, I would like to point out, had already been agreed and defined in 2018 with the Gentiloni government. They were the Regions of Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna. The important point for the South and the country is to have written in the reform law, in Article 1 and Article 4, that before defining important agreements on civil and social rights, they must be defined and financed the essential levels of performance. Civil and social rights must be guaranteed at every latitude. This is why autonomy does not take anything away from the South, but instead determines a process of true empowerment of the ruling classes and efficiency and effectiveness in the management of resources”.
«It is a stability law that combines principles of sustainability and rigor in the control of public accounts on the one hand, and on the other frees important resources to encourage growth». This was stated by the undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for the South, Lugi Sbarra, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a conference in Catanzaro, with reference to the government’s manoeuvre.
“The fact should not be underestimated – continues Sbarra – that there are almost 3 billion to reduce taxes for the middle class, which are added to the 18 billion approved in recent years by the Meloni government to cut the tax wedge. There are important resources to support the renewal of contracts through forms of tax relief, resources are freed up for the National Health Fund for public health, there are important resources to support the business system, starting with the Zes”.
“I see a stability law with a social profile, but – concluded the undersecretary for the South – attentive to how we keep public accounts under control. I think that the objective of reaching 3% is now on our side to get out of the infringement procedures that Europe has imposed on us in recent years and to free up further resources”.