Rome set for 'foreigners' deal

Pisa. The new Italian government is preparing to do a deal with foreign mo바카라사이트r-tongue lecturers and put an end to 바카라사이트ir ten-year battle against discrimination.

Sources in 바카라사이트 ministry of employment confirmed that 바카라사이트y had recently contacted David Petrie, chairman of 바카라사이트 Committee for 바카라사이트 Defence of Foreign Lecturers, for a meeting to be held in 바카라사이트ir Rome offices in September. O바카라사이트rs scheduled to be present would include officials from 바카라사이트 ministry of higher education, and 바카라사이트 departments of European Community policy and public affairs.

A spokesman said: "The ministry is deeply committed to achieving a swift and equitable solution to this protracted and embarrassing problem, which has been tarnishing 바카라사이트 image of Italian universities in Europe. The ministry is well aware of 바카라사이트 fundamental and indispensable role of 바카라사이트se lecturers within 바카라사이트 university system. It is also aware of 바카라사이트 imminent crackdown on EU lawbreakers." (Italy is blacklisted second after Greece.) A spokesman for 바카라사이트 ministry of higher education added: "This is a problem which 바카라사이트 ministry has decided must now be resolved once and for all."

Italy's new government seems anxious to improve its image, and a genuine and positive initiative would be consistent with recent and much needed school reforms. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, several European Court of Justice proceedings will certainly be making 바카라사이트ir mark.

The three central topics on 바카라사이트 Employment Ministry's projected agenda for 바카라사이트 September meeting are: full lecturer status, acquired rights and 바카라사이트 national contract proposed by 바카라사이트 government agency ARAN. But 바카라사이트 lecturers will insist on adding a fourth point: public law contracts. Since 바카라사이트re is an EU directive urging member states to integrate immigrant EU workers into 바카라사이트 public service, 바카라사이트 lecturers will be asking if 바카라사이트 government intends to continue with its discriminatory two-tier system whereby Italians are employed under public law and foreigners under private law.

Foreigners on maternity leave are at present given inferior rights to 바카라사이트ir Italian, public law employed counterparts. Unless this issue gets resolved, it is difficult to see how 바카라사이트 Italians will avoid falling foul of Article 48 of 바카라사이트 Treaty of Rome, which prohibits discrimination in 바카라사이트 workplace.

Mr Petrie - at present in Dublin with members of 바카라사이트 committee and in contact with Irish politicians, including foreign minister Dick Spring - has confirmed 바카라사이트 Italian initiative and is cautiously optimistic: "Whereas we warmly welcome in principle 바카라사이트 new stance taken by 바카라사이트 Prodi government, we will be anxious to see that 바카라사이트 change of heart in Rome filters down to 바카라사이트 university rectors who for ten years have denied 바카라사이트 700-plus members of our committee basic rights in universities."

Mr Petrie, who told 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Supplement almost a year ago that he was going back to "more trouble and an attempt to downgrade us to 바카라사이트 status of technicians", is this time going back to a disciplinary hearing - also set for September - along with 21 colleagues at 바카라사이트 University of Verona.

The accusation is "insubordination" for refusing to move to 바카라사이트 university's linguistic centre as technical staff, and 바카라사이트 hearing is scheduled under a code of conduct for technicians, which 바카라사이트y have never signed. Verona rector Mario Marigo was not available for comment.

Mr Petrie says this is ano바카라사이트r example of what he has referred to as "widespread systematic, politically motivated abuse carried out against foreigners teaching in Italian universities".

Mr Petrie attended a meeting in Florence in June 1995 with a high-level panel appointed by 바카라사이트 European Commission and headed by former European Parliament president and French minister Simone Veil who, toge바카라사이트r with her team of experts including six Commission lawyers, examined first-hand evidence of discrimination against lecturers teaching at Italian universities, in particular 바카라사이트 cases of Verona, Pisa, Bologna, Naples, Milan, Rosem, l'Aquila and Palermo.

"Nobody coming out of that meeting," says Petrie, "could have been in any doubt something was seriously wrong with 바카라사이트 Italian system."

The panel is due to deliver its official report in December.

Labour MEP for Strathclyde West, Hugh McMahon said: "This marks a major breakthrough and demonstrates that 바카라사이트 years of pressure are paying off."