Among young people, the lack of knowledge of union activities is the main reason for not registering: almost half of the under 34s indicated it (47.3% to be precise), in a survey conducted by the Di Vittorio Foundation (Cgil) among over 31,000 workers, followed in this age group by the high cost of enrollment (18.8%) and by concerns about the consequences at work (12.1%) or because they consider it useless (10.9 %), too submissive (8%) and too antagonistic (2.9%). Looking at all age groups, 29.4% of non-members did not take a union card because they “do not know the union’s activities”, and 23.6% because of the high cost of membership.
The survey on workers’ conditions and expectations presented by the president of the Fdv, Fulvio Fammoni on the final day of the 19th congress of the CGIL, in which the leader Maurizio Landini set the union’s strategic objective to expand the perimeter of representation (among the 5.2 million members 2.5 million are retired) also looking beyond employee work, to include self-employment, the world of VAT numbers and collaborators – including many young people -, aiming at the unification of protections regardless of the type of employment relationship established.
The main request to the union: the increase of wages
The main reasons for union membership are both of a universalist nature (“because it has an important role in affirming rights and protections”, 42.4%) and linked to more specific interests, “to protect my rights as a worker” (38%), “because it provides me with useful services” (11.4%) or “because it has already helped me solve problems” (8.3%). With regard to the main aspects on which the union should intervene more forcefully in comparison with the institutions: in first place, and with a great gap on the others, is the issue of wage increases (68%), followed by the defense and increase of employment (44.7%) and the fight against precariousness (42.7%), strongly indicated by the representatives. The themes of the development of public services, the fight against inequalities and economic support in the event of poverty and unemployment follow.
For seven out of ten, the company’s future has negative prospects
68.6% of the sample believes that there will be a reduction in staff, 17.8% that there will be relocations and 17.4% that businesses will close. Compared to the impacts of technological innovations, just over one in ten (13.2%) expect their work to be completely replaced by technology – this incidence increases for some professions such as public sales (24%), the employee of fixed plants and assembly lines (23%), executive office work (19%). With respect to qualitative impacts, however, a positive perception prevails: 59.1% believe that technology will improve working conditions. On the other hand, 33.8% believe that the pace of work will increase.
Widespread sub-category levels
Considering the rhythms and loads of work, a high intensity of work emerges in terms of deadlines, rhythms and loads, which occurs in a high way (“often”) for more than one worker out of three. Furthermore, the results highlight the presence of widespread sub-management levels, with one worker out of four who “often” has to assume excessive responsibilities with respect to the duties. The majority of the sample has limits in the self-determination of times (half of the sample can never choose them) and methods (never 36.5%), as well as in participation in the definition of objectives (never 41.8 %). A relationship emerges between autonomy and innovation: the index of autonomy is higher in the most innovative companies.