No early World Cup exits for Italy's civil servants
Civil service minister's stance backed by consumers
11 June, 17:42
(ANSA) - Rome, June 11 - Italian state employees wanting to
head home early to see the Azzurri's World Cup games on TV had
their hopes dashed in advance by Civil Service Minister Renato
Brunetta on Friday.Brunetta said civil servants will not be able to use permits granted to take hours off work, usually for things like doctor appointments, to make time for the matches in South Africa.
The minister added that workers who simply cannot bear to miss matches beginning before their clocking-off time should take a whole day from their allocated holiday time for the year.
''Fun is one thing, work is another,'' Brunetta, who is known for taking a hard line on malingering in public administration, told ANSA.
''It's leisure, not illness, or an obligatory commitment or care for a family member.
''Let's be serious... What if you were a cricket enthusiast or you love going for walks?''.
Brunetta comments come after Dieter Hundt, the head of Germay's employers' association, recently suggested workers be given time permits to be able to go home early to watch World Cup games. Italian consumer association Codacons backed the minister on the condition that the stance applies to him too.
''The minister's position is right as it avoids possible damage to citizens because of lower productivity in the public sector,'' said Codacons president Carlo Rienzi.
''However, Brunetta must give a good example by being the first to work during the national team's games, without leaving his duties to watch the matches''.
The minister is a prominent member of Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right government who sparks sharply contrasting reactions.
He is popular with a large number of Italians after a campaign to weed out slackers in the civil service.
But he has also been at the centre of some high voltage polemics, with one of the biggest exploding in January when he came under heavy fire for suggesting all over 18s still living at home be forced to leave the nest.
He blamed Italian parents for turning their offspring into "bamboccioni" or "big babies". At the time critics pointed out that Brunetta himself had stayed at home until he was 30. photo: the Italian national team in training.
