Italy - Union criticizes new employment decree - April 30, 2026

The government approved a new employment decree timed to coincide with Labour Day on 1 May. The decree allocates almost € 1 billion in employment incentives. A central condition of accessing these incentives is the payment of a fair wage. The Prime Minister stressed that there would be no incentives available to employers using so-called "pirate contracts" or those who underpay their workers. Among the decree's measures is an extension until the end of the year of hiring bonuses – due to expire on 30 April – for workers under the age of 35, disadvantaged female workers and those employed within Special Economic Zones (ZES). The secretary general of CGIL union was highly critical of the measures: "May Day is a workers' holiday," but "in this decree, the € 960 million allocated goes to businesses. Workers won't get a cent".

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