“GRAPE HARVEST VOUCHERS” ARE ON THE WAY: FROM MONTALCINO, ITALIAN MINISTER OF WORK, CESARE DAMIANO, LAUNCHES THE INTRODUCTION OF A MODERN TOOL TO AID OCCUPATION IN AGRICULTURE, AIMED AT HELPING WORKERS COMBAT TAX EVASION AND CLANDESTINE LABOR

“Grape harvest vouchers” will soon be arriving in Italy. The Italian Minister of Labor, Cesare Damiano, launched a message of “real optimism” at the international event, Benvenuto Brunello (Welcome Brunello) held recently in Montalcino, in regards to the adoption of an aid program for occupation in agriculture (set to start already during the next harvest) aimed towards helping workers and enterprises combat tax evasion and clandestine work.

“There is a plan to use these vouchers in experimental terms” – declared Minister Damiano – “exclusively for the grape harvest, a precise and limited type of work. To be precise, we are still speaking of a hypothesis for the actualization of what we are working on. Unfortunately, the government crisis has blocked the conclusion of things that had already been decided but, I am still optimistic. Our offices are under pressure, I hope that this tool can be introduced as soon as possible.

“It would be an important thing because it is aimed at retired workers and students who do this type of job, and allows them to have a voucher that contains retribution, safety and contribution guarantees; insomma, it’s to everyone’s advantage”.

The grape harvest vouchers are a tool that has been strongly supported by Confagricoltura, the most important association for Italian agricultural enterprises.

Apart from the “grape harvest vouchers” – which are already used in other European countries like France, Spain, and Germany – the efforts of Minister Damiano are primarily aimed at the reform of methods used in treating unemployment in agricultural work, with access to unemployment benefits, overtime pay, incentives for the stabilizing of work relations and work safety issues.