In Italy, employees at Meloni's office are protesting against new remote work rules — FT
Staff members in Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office have announced a one-day strike in response to the government’s decision to significantly reduce the number of days allowed for remote work.
The new restrictions reduce the maximum allowed time for working from home to 52 days per year, although previously employees could work remotely for twice as long.
The protest could partially paralyze the work of the government secretariat, as the unions decided to take this step after fruitless attempts to secure negotiations with the Prime Minister’s inner circle.
The cause of the widespread discontent is not only the new rules but also the poor conditions within the government offices themselves.
Union activists complain that their work is hindered by overcrowded offices, the poor technical condition of the buildings, and even pests, including pigeons and Asian hornets.
Currently, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat employs approximately 3,500 administrative and technical staff, whose workplaces are located in 20 different buildings across Rome, including historic 16th-century palaces.
Representatives of the left-wing USB union emphasize that mandatory office attendance four days a week during set hours will negatively impact the work-life balance.
The sudden cut in benefits will force civil servants to spend much more money and time commuting to work.
The protest organizers specifically emphasized that the authorities have completely failed to take into account the real daily problems faced by people who are forced to commute to work from remote areas.
The new rules were approved in April by the administrative head of the government apparatus, Carlo Deodato, who justified the changes by citing the high complexity of the secretariat’s tasks.
He is convinced that effective governance requires a balance between flexibility for employees and the ability to respond promptly to government challenges and priorities.
The Italian government has assured that a greater presence of employees in the workplace will increase the speed, quality, and effectiveness of work, creating a modern system of public administration.
The Financial Times reports on this.
Meloni and Rubio held talks amid tensions between the U.S. and Italy
Meloni is trying to relaunch the government’s policies following the defeat in the referendum
