Jobs Act 'strips rights, paves way for abuse', CGIL -update2

(ANSA) - Rome, October 9 - The passage of the government's Jobs Act by confidence vote is a "clear" curb on parliamentary debate that lays the groundwork for more precarious youth jobs, "removes rights rather than extending them, and paves the way for arbitrary decisions and abuses," Italy's biggest and most leftwing trade union, CGIL, said Thursday. The CGIL, which is set to hold a major rally on October 25, said it was prepared for a "long campaign to affirm labour prerogatives".
    The union, which has historic ties to Premier Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party (PD), has been trying to fight the controversial Jobs Act reforms along with PD dissenters for the last month.
    Earlier Thursday Renzi used Twitter to express his satisfaction at his government's victory in a crunch confidence vote on its Jobs Act labour reform in the Senate, adding that the executive is now focusing on tax reform. "Very good yesterday on the Jobs Act," Renzi posted on the @matteorenzi account. "Now decisive and determined on fiscal simplification.
    Step by step, Italy is starting over". Renzi's executive called the confidence vote on a key Jobs Act amendment to pressure the PD opponents to vote in favour.
    The PD minority opposed to changes for new hires to Article 18 of the Workers' Stature - which protects people from unfair dismissal - backed down and toed the party line, while vowing to fight on to the measure during the rest of its path through parliament.
    The Renzi administration, which would have collapsed if it had lost the vote, prevailed with 165 votes in favour, 111 against and two abstentions. Renzi argues Article 18 discourages firms from hiring staff, as it is hard to get rid of someone once they are on the books, and has contributed to high levels of unemployment and the overuse of temporary and freelance contracts, especially for young people.
    "Yesterday the Senators made a huge step forward," Renzi said early on Thursday.
    "The margin (of victory) was very strong. I'm very happy with the result in numerical terms". But the win came at a price though. PD Senator Walter Tocci voted in favour but said he intended to quit parliament.
    Another leading PD dissenter, Stefano Fassina, said that there was "great concern and suffering" within the parliamentary party.