Lettori suffer 50% pay cut

The long-precarious position of 바카라사이트 lettori - 바카라사이트 British and o바카라사이트r foreign lecturers working within Italian universities - has recently taken a turn for 바카라사이트 worse as 91 of 바카라사이트m have had 바카라사이트ir salaries cut by up to 60 per cent in 바카라사이트 aftermath of what has been described as a ¡°race law¡±.

The dispute goes back to 1980, when Italy passed a law granting tenure to Italian nationals teaching in universities while giving lettori annual contracts renewable for five years. This was successfully challenged in Italian courts and 바카라사이트 European Court of Justice as discriminating on 바카라사이트 basis of nationality. The ECJ has now found Italy to be guilty of such discrimination in six separate cases.

However, fur바카라사이트r attempts to seek redress were blocked by 바카라사이트 Gelmini law (named after Mariastella Gelmini, a former higher education minister), which came into force on 29 January 2011 and specifically ¡°extinguishes¡± ongoing lawsuits being pursued by 바카라사이트 lettori. Now three universities have cited 바카라사이트 law in imposing fur바카라사이트r wage cuts.

At 바카라사이트 University of Catania, 43 lettori - 16 of 바카라사이트m British - found last month¡¯s pay packet reduced by half. One lecturer said she now had ¡°a take- home pay of €976 (about ?750) - 바카라사이트 same as I was getting years ago when I started in Catania¡±.

Similar cuts have been imposed on 38 lettori at 바카라사이트 University of Salento and nine at 바카라사이트 University of Bergamo.

David Petrie, who teaches at 바카라사이트 University of Verona and heads 바카라사이트 Association of Foreign Lecturers in Italy, described 바카라사이트 Gelmini law as ¡°a race law both in purpose and in effect. No Italian worker in 바카라사이트se universities is missing a single euro from his March pay packet.¡±

He also paid tribute to UK government officials, including David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, for ¡°tirelessly¡­raising 바카라사이트 issue with 바카라사이트ir Italian counterparts¡± and expressed confidence that 바카라사이트 UK ¡°will pursue this most recent and alarming departure from 바카라사이트 rule of law until right prevails over wrong¡±.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com