In February an unprecedented event occurred in the United States. The Government Efficiency Department (Doge) led by Elon Musk in the Trump administration, the same person in charge of carrying out those “cuts” that has staged with the chainsaw that Milei gave him, fired 350 officials of the Department of Energy. He had gone his hand so much that he had to rectify to recover specialists in the assembly of nuclear eyelets. The chainsaw Musk has just transferred borders, but he has met Italy.
The controversy in Aviano. It is public and notorious. Elon Musk, known today for its aggressive management and cost reduction style, has just generated a new international controversy after imposing its productivity control system at the American Air Air Base, in northern Italy.
An email aimed at Italian employees of the base required that they report five weekly achievements, under threat of dismissal if they did not. This type of measure, already implemented in the United States, has collided fully with the Italian labor system, which guarantees strong protections and rights to its workers. The incident has caused an immediate reaction of the unions, the Italian government and public opinion, triggering a confrontation between the business model of Musk and the labor laws of the European nation.
Musk mail and surprise. The message in question was sent to employees of the Aviano Base who work in areas such as restoration, maintenance and logistics, essential services for the operation of US military facilities in Italy. Although the order was supposed to be directed to Washington employees, the mail was forwarded to Italian workers, which generated confusion and alarm.
As we said, in Italy the right to work is constitutionally protected and contracts offer some job stability, so the demand of Musk has been seen as an unacceptable interference. He told the New York Times Roberto del Savio, union representative of the base employees, his immediate rejection of the board: “We are in Italy. Here are precise rules, and thank God for it. ”
Not just that. The rejection was not limited only to the workers of Aviano. In total, around 4,000 Italian civil employees work in US bases in the country, serving 15,000 American soldiers and guaranteeing the operation of facilities that operate as small US peoples on European soil.
@alberico_dip Even if it’s not true I would answer him like this
♬ Original sound – 😂 Alberico di Pasquale 😂
The Italian labor system. The European country, as we said, has one of the most protected labor systems in Europe. Of course, with their “peros”, but the laws guarantee job stability, unionization and rights that are difficult to modify, especially in the public sector. Unlike the United States, where companies can fire employees with relative ease, in Italy the dismissals are more complicated and require solid legal justifications.
In this regard, explained Pierpaolo Bombardieri, general secretary of the UIL union, which Musk’s mail is “unacceptable and aberrant.” In fact and given the outrage generated, the unions sent letters to the Italian government and the United States embassy demanding clarifications about whether these types of measures could affect Italian workers of the US bases in the country.
What do the bases say. Current norms establish that Italian civilian employees are only obliged to respond to instructions if they come directly from the United States government, not if they are tested emails. However, it is not clear if the Department of Defense plans to extend these productivity control practices to local workers.
Reactions in Italy. The episode has not only generated outrage in the unions, but it has also become a mockery issue in the nation. The rigidity of the Italian labor system is seen by some as a guarantee of stability, but by others as an obstacle to modernization. For example, right -wing journalist and commentator Nicola Porro wrote on his blog: “Italy would also need the Musk ax.”
In social networks, a video of the Creator of Content Alberico Di Pasquale was popularized, who simulated how an Italian worker would respond to Musk’s mail. Of course, the video went viral quickly, humorously reflecting the vision of many Italians about their work culture and the clash with the vision of extreme productivity of Musk.
Musk, Trump and uncertainty. Beyond the punctual controversy in Aviano, the incident occurs in a context of uncertainty about the commitment of the United States with its military bases in Europe. Trump has insisted that European countries must assume greater costs in their own defense, which has generated speculation about possible cuts in military bases such as Aviano.
In fact, in parallel to the controversy, the US government froze credit cards used by Italian employees in Aviano to Buy equipment and stopped new hiring. Decisions that have increased concern among workers, who fear that the pressure to reduce costs will end up affecting their jobs. Hence, the words of Emilio Fargnoli, union representative, seem to be the voice of the majority: “Musk can do what he wants in the United States. If there are happy with that, perfect. But here, no. “
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