Sardinia continues to pay a very high price in terms of "unemployment, precariousness and social inequalities", to the point of being among the Italian regions with the lowest employment rate . The alarm was raised by Cisl Sardinia, which the day after the regional Congress relaunched a strong and clear appeal : " Without stable and dignified employment, there is no future. Politics must listen to the territories and act responsibly. Either we change course, or the island risks being left behind for an entire generation. The absolute priority is one: stable and dignified work for all. Politics must stop with the slogans and open a real discussion with those who represent work".
An appeal that finds full confirmation in the words of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who recently called on institutions and social partners to make a concrete commitment, underlining that today "we cannot accept that those who work remain poor". A dramatic reality that, according to the general secretary of the Cisl Sardinia, Pier Luigi Ledda, is more than evident: "We have been saying it for years: in Sardinia too many people work, but they are unable to live with dignity. This is unacceptable".
The numbers
The data are clear: the general employment rate stops at 55% (among the lowest in Italy) , with the female rate at 44%. Youth unemployment exceeds 31%, while the average income from employment is over 3,000 euros lower than the national average. 22% of Sardinian families live in relative poverty, and over 40,000 public workers are waiting for their contract renewal, in crucial sectors such as healthcare, local authorities and schools.
The Emergencies
For the Cisl there are five emergencies to be addressed immediately : the renewal of contracts and the increase in wages, young people and women excluded from the labor market; ineffective active policies; the increase in employment and safety for workers.
Hence the proposal for a new Agenda Sardinia , based on eight shared priorities : stable employment, strengthened public health, a fair ecological transition, relaunching industry and energy, valorization of agriculture and tourism, modern infrastructure, training and innovation, strategic use of European funds. "Sardinia has everything to be a protagonist - concludes Ledda - but we need a policy that listens to work and chooses with courage. We are here. And if no answers arrive, we will make ourselves heard. With determination and unity. Sardinia can no longer wait".
(Unioneonline/vf)
