EU implored to improve conditions for expats in Italy

Italy

A proposal by the Italian government to lessen the rights of expat lecturers rights has been panned by a current expat working in the country.

A lecturer at the University of Verona, David Petrie, is in the midst of an ongoing battle to improve the current situation in Italy. Known in Italy as 'lettori' these expats have been the recipients of much discrimination over what is apparently a period of decades.

Mr Petrie has recently asked MEPs from the European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee to examine if Article 26 goes against EU rules on discrimination, and to establish if a change is possible.

“For 20 odd-years, universities all over Italy, bankrolled by their paymaster the Italian state, have been wasting millions on law suits rather than paying foreigners the same wages as Italians,” he said to the committee. The Berlusconi government’s solution is to 'extinguish' lettori law suits – because that is literally what Article 26 states, it 'extinguishes' all pending court cases - thereby legislating against judgements of the ECJ and legislating against the EU Treaty, and stripping us of full citizens' rights,” Petrie said.

It remains to be seen if Petrie's efforts will improve conditions.