Tripodi: Trade union obstructionism? Yet another Di Maio fake news

(To Federico Castiglioni)
18/07/19

Maria Tripodi is the leader of Forza Italia in the Defense Commission at the Chamber of Deputies. In recent days it has made an amendment to the basic text concerning the introduction of military unions in Italy, legislation currently under discussion in Parliament after a solicitation from the council that asked the legislator to consider the article 1475 of the military code that prohibited "the establishment of trade union associations".

Mr Tripodi, military unions are now becoming a reality and the Defense Commission is working hard on this. However, Deputy Minister Di Maio accused the opposition of obstructing them. How much is true in this story?

Unfortunately, it is yet another fake news that the vice premier is offering free to the Italians and I say it with good reason. The oppositions with a great sense of responsibility have expressed their willingness to approve the provision quickly and shared. I myself as the leader of Forza Italia have repeatedly appealed to the majority in this regard, obtaining a new reformulation of the original text with a basic text approved by the Commission, also having regard to the PDL 1060 at my first signature and the other PDL of the colleague Pagani. This is how the text Corda 875 and combined was born. The text then arrived in the classroom on 27 May for general discussion and sent back to the Commission on the proposal of the Movimento5Stelle, as shown in the minutes of the session of the Chamber. The responsibility is therefore all five stars.

You presented an amendment to the Commission that managed to divide the majority, leading the League to vote contrary to the 5 Movement Stars. His amendment was on the possibility that the military would take the ordinary judge in the event of disputes, and not the labor one. Why was this step important and why only the Grillo and Di Maio Movement seems not to have shared the initiative?

First of all, I take this opportunity to reiterate that the amendment I first signed does not in any way infringe the rights of military personnel. And the plastic demonstration is that it was approved by all political forces, with the exception of the M5S which instead made it a purely ideological question.

This amendment is important both in terms of protection, because it does not see any weakening of rights and offers adequate guarantees that are even strengthened since it allows as an important element of novelty both individuals and professional associations of a trade union nature between the military, to refer to the administrative judge . It also aims not to jeopardize the efficiency of the military instrument. A Thesis that of the ordinary rite, however, already confirmed at the hearing also by the Advocate General of the State. 

What is your idea about the introduction of trade unions in the military world? Although the Constitutional Court has made them obligatory, in fact, there is no lack of doubts about this new guarantee, which risks politicizing a strategic asset of national defense such as the armed forces.

I am in favor of guarantees for military personnel, our women and men must be recognized with the right rights. And it is precisely in this sense that the sentence of the Constitutional Court indicates the way to fill the regulatory gap.

I understand the concerns raised, but I assure you that we are working with seriousness and in a careful way to a law defined by the CSM Defense of epochal importance for the Armed Forces. There is in no way, on the part of the legislator, the intention to politicize the strategic heart of the defense and security of the country. Of risks I do not see if we will operate in a responsible way, on the other hand we are dealing with an issue that concerns the military: common heritage of all Italians.