Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has entrusted the Consiglio Nazionale dell'Economia e del Lavoro (National Council for Economics and Labour, CNEL) with the task of reflecting on the introduction of a national minimum wage. Following a meeting on 11 August 2023 between the Prime Minister and opposition representatives, the CNEL has been given just over a month to conclude its work. The minimum wage however is not one of the government's own plans; its preference lies with supporting low-income earners by other means, in particular via lower social security contributions.
The question of a national minimum wage is controversial in Italy where salary minima are traditionally set by collective bargaining agreements. In order to carry out its mission of reflection, the CNEL has access to all sector agreement archives and thus to the statistics on all minimum wages in Italy. The 65 members of the CNEL include 48 representatives of public and private sector producers of goods and services. With the exception of the CGIL union however, these social partners are reluct
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Article authors
Hélène Martinelli
Freelance