Italy votes this weekend in 5 referendums. Four are all about the existing restrictive, anti-working class labour laws and one is about the length of time involved in claiming citizenship. Meloni’s post-fascist led government defends the repressive labour legislation and the current citizenship law which means you have to have lived in Italy for 10 years before becoming Italian. A Yes in the referendum would halve that period.
Introductory notes
To get a referendum that can only remove laws and not propose them you need 500,000 signatures. Unions and the Left got over 4 million for the labour law referendum and 637,000 for the one on citizenship. Most referendums have failed in the past since you have to have at least a 50% turnout or quorum. Political parties opposed to the referendum questions actively encourage voters to not participate in the vote rather than encourage their supporters to go and vote against since the latter option would increase the turnout. The hard right wing government and other parties opposed to the referendums are using the same tactic this time.
Three of the referendums aim to overturn key measures brought in by the Jobs Act that was implemented by Matteo Renzi’s government. He was the leader of the PD, Partito Democratico, (Democrat Party) which is the official left of centre party. Its current leadership is calling for a yes vote and is currently the biggest opposition party. Unfortunately another referendum -aiming to stop the divisive differentiated autonomy proposals which would strengthen regional resources and weaken statewide adjustment processes – was ruled out of order by the constitutional court that authorises all referendums.
As Sinistra Anticapitalistagues argues below 5 Yes votes would be a partial victory for working people after decades of defeat and pushback in Italy. We will be providing a report on the results from Italy next week.(Dave Kellaway)
End precarious employment, put workers first
On 8 and 9 June, there will be a vote on five referendums aimed at limiting job insecurity and precariousness, countering the trend towards ever greater liberalisation promoted by successive governments over the last few years.
These are the important questions people will be voting on.
- those sacked without a ‘just’ cause to get their jobs back
- bigger compensation to be paid in workplaces with less than 15 employees
- businesses have to have justified reasons for short term contracts
- companies to be made responsible for their subcontracted operations (particularly relevant to Health and safety)
- shorter access to citizenship for migrant workers
[By voting yes sections of legislation will be removed that will allow the above 5 positive changes to be enacted. Tr.]
The different and important contents of each question highlight the political significance of these referendums, namely the need to strengthen the unity of the working class. It will foreground the rights of those who live off their work, who are the vast majority of people. A yes vote will shake the pedestal on which the wealthy minority stands. This class currently commands the stage and claim to run society for their own exclusive benefit. For decades, they have tried to convince us that giving free rein to businesses would benefit everyone, but the facts have proven the opposite. Business owners only care about their profits but working conditions have deteriorated significantly. Today, the Europe of the bosses, which for years has imposed austerity, is planning a crazy 800 billion euro rearmament programme. It will be paid for by the working classes with further cuts to health, education and welfare and wages, further increasing the profits of the arms industry. This is why reaching the quorum and winning the referendum concerns you and yours, even those who are now retired or have relatively secure jobs. A radical change of system is needed, putting the economy at the service of the people and not the other way around. This requires a democratically planned economy, in which what, how and how much to produce is decided on the basis of the needs of the present and future generations, and not on the basis of the profits of a few.
It is necessary that all those who live from their own labour orgnaise and mobilize for the interests of their own class. We know that any positive result, even a partial one, is a step forward that strengthens the working class as a whole in its battle to defend its working conditions and standard of living.
Vote Yes in each of 5 referendums on the 8th and 9th June
Sinistra Anticapitalista. June 2025