Italian Premier Matteo Renzi said
on Facebook Friday said that labour union complaints that the
new director of the Palace of Caserta works too much are
"ridiculous".
The Palace, in Italian Reggia di Caserta, is an
18th-century former royal residence near Naples and a UNESCO
World Heritage site open to the public, whose new director Mauro
Felicori was appointed through an international application
process.
"The labour unions that complain about Felicori, (who was)
chosen by government through an international competition,
should realise that the tide has turned. And the free ride is
over!" Renzi wrote.
"It's not by chance that in February 2016 visitors are up
70% compared to February 2015 and receipts are up 105%".
Italian daily Il Mattino reported on Friday that in late
February three labour unions sent a letter of protest to members
of Culture Minister Dario Franceschini's staff, complaining
among other things that Felicori worked past closing time and
this "puts the entire museum at risk".
Felicori said he doesn't have to justify himself, calling
his job "an enormous responsibility".
"The Palace is guarded 24 hours a day, so even if the
director asked someone to work overtime... there wouldn't be
anything wrong, but I've never done that," he said.
Labour union UGL coordinator Carmine Egizio said working
late was just one of the complaints listed in the letter.
"We also cited problems that haven't ever been solved, like
the personnel time clock, which is still the old one," Egizio
said, pointing out that the culture ministry mandated a new
system in 2013.
CGIL trade union federation chief Susanna Camusso also
weighed in.
"When you're wrong you should be able to admit it, and the
unions at #reggiacaserta were wrong!" she tweeted.
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